Das Projekt "CLICOFI: Wirkungen der klimainduzierten Temperaturveraenderungen auf kuestennahe Seefischbestaende" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung durchgeführt. Changes in the earth's climate through warming of the atmosphere have been predicted and concomitant negative consequences in many marine ecosystems are expected. Although the impact of decadal-scale variations by the coupled ocean-atmosphere system on marine communities and populations has been well documented (Cushing, 1982; Beamish, 1995; Bakun, 1996), causal relationships are largely obscure. Temperature changes can affect, directly or indirectly, marine populations during all life stages. To analyse and interpret these effects a profound synthesized knowledge of ecological and physiological processes is required. Within the framework of the European initiative ELOISE (European Land Ocean Interaction Studies) a project was designed to further our understanding of the past and present impact of climate induced temperature changes on fish populations through the combination of retrospective studies, field data analysis, ecological and physiological experiments, genetical investigations and modelling. We have selected two model species characterized by northern and southern distribution limits in the North Atlantic: eelpout (Zoarces viviparus), as a typical non-migrating inhabitant of the coastal zone, with a k-selektive reproduction strategy (viviparous) and cod (Gadus morhua), as an typical inhabitant of continent shelf with a high importance for fisheries. Both species have a boreal distribution, the southernmost distribution limits are in the Wadden Sea of the southern North Sea (eelpout) and in the northern part of the Biscay (cod). Accordingly, populations of the two species have adapted to temperature regimes in a latitudinal cline.