My Ph.D. thesis investigated marine systems from the scale of single fish stocks to social-ecological systems.
Human action is transforming the species composition, biogeochemistry and habitats of the world’s oceans at unprecedented rates. The cumulative effect of natural and anthropogenic drivers is challenging to measure, in part due to indirect effects and the complexity of marine systems. Building on the theory of complex adaptive systems, this thesis increases our understanding of how complex, heterogeneous marine social-ecological systems may respond to changing conditions. This thesis integrates resilience research with network science and describes change and structural patterns at several social-ecological scales. – Yletyinen, 2016.
After studying resilience, regime shifts, network structures and natural resource management for four years, I quoted Kevin McCann (Nature, 2000, Diversity-Stability Debate) on the first page of my thesis:
“We are, in a very real sense, deconstructing the Earth under the implicit assumption that ecosystems have evolved the ability to withstand such assault without collapse.”
Johanna Yletyinen, Ph.D. 