Framing the regime shift concept: an epistemological analysis of a central ecological notion in the context of the North Sea cod crisis

Abstract

The regime shift concept is a popular scientific framework to analyze abrupt changes in marine ecosystems. The collapse of North Sea cod (Gadus morhua) represents a paradigmatic example of such a change. Although this process is framed as a regime shift in science, a common understanding of the concept seems to be scarce. We conducted interviews with stakeholders in the German context associated with the North Sea, aiming at analyzing the conceptual structure and revealing epistemological convergences and divergences of regime shifts with the aim to pave a way toward the need of a shared understanding of regime shifts to support sustainable fisheries management.