Charlotte Berkström

My main research focus involves ecological connectivity in both temperate and tropical seascapes. I am also interested in the ecological effects of no-take zones/marine reserves and how ecologically coherent marine protected area (MPA) networks are regarding connectivity and representativity of important habitats. Another area of interest is the availability of nutritious aquatic foods in low- and middle income countries and how this may change with a changing climate. I am also interested in the impact of tourism on fish in tropical seascapes and the availability of nutritious food for the local population.

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2020 -        Docent/Associate Professor - Dept. of Aquatic Resources; SLU Aqua

2019 - 20   Researcher - Dept. of Aquatic Resources; SLU Aqua

2015 - 19    Researcher - Dept. of Ecology, Environment & Plant Sciences, SU

2017 - 19    Post Doc - Dept. of Aquatic Resources; SLU Aqua

2012 - 14    Post Doc - Dept. of Ecology, Environment & Plant Sciences, SU

2012            Doctoral degree - Dept. of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University

2003            BSc Hons in Marine Biology - James Cook University, Australia

Henriksson S, Jorde P E , C. Berkström, et al. 2025. Connectivity and Population Structure in a Marginal Sea—A Review. Diversity and Distributions 31, no. 7: e70056 https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70056

Sacre E, Bergström U, Berkström C (2025)  Identing priority areas for conservation to promote connectivity and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance. Conservation Biology, e70083 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.70083

Moland E, André E, van Deurs M, Bergström U (eds) et al. (2025) Improving nature management and marine protection in Skagerrak: Knowledge synthesis for conservation planning, ecosystem-based fisheries management and expanding offshore wind farms. Nordisk Ministerråd, TemaNord, ISSN 0908-6692 ; 2025:529 https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?dswid=5058&pid=diva2%3A1949856

Berkström C, Kraufvelin P, Sacre E, Bergström U (2024) Konnektivitet och fysisk påverkan i kustvatten: en sammanställning över kunskapsläget och förslag till revidering av bedömningsgrund. Aqua Reports: 2024:4 https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=129329

André C, Henriksson S, Jahnke M, De Wit P, Knutsen H, Jorde PE, Søvik G, Moland E, Berkström C, van Deurs M (2024) Spatial population structure and connectivity among marine populations in the Skagerrak: implications for marine biodiversity conservation. Nordisk Ministerråd https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?dswid=5058&pid=diva2%3A1911065

Bergström U, Eklöf J, Sköld M, Hansen JP, Wikström S, Berkström C (2024) Policy brief: Inför fler fiskefria områden för att skydda bestånd och ekosystem. Stockholm University https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?dswid=5058&pid=diva2%3A1855308

Berkström C, Eriksson H (eds.) et al. (2023) Securing sustainable access to aquatic foods. Publisher: SLU Global. https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=122055

Wilson SK, Fulton CJ, Graham NAJ, A. Abesamis R, Berkström C, et al. (2022) The contribution of macroalgae-associated fishes to small-scale tropical reef fisheries. Fish and Fisheries https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12653

Eggertsen L, Goodell W, Cordeiro CAMM, Cossa D, de Lucena M, Berkström C, Franco JN, Ferreira CEL, Bandeira S, Gullström M (2022) Where the grass is greenest in seagrass seascapes depends on life history and simple species traits of fish. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 266:107738 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107738

Berkström C, Sacre E, and Bergström U. (2022). Ecological connectivity in marine protected areas in Swedish Baltic coastal waters - A coherence assessment. Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Aqua reports; 2022:11 https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=116612

Bergström U, Berkström C, Sköld M (eds.) et al. (2022). Long-term effects of no-take zones in Swedish waters. Aqua reports 2022:20. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. 289 pp. https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=120390

Bergström L, Öhman MC, Berkström C, Isæus M, Kautsky L, Koehler B, Nyström Sandman A, Ohlsson H, Ottvall R, Schack H, Wahlberg M (2022) Effekter av havsbaserad vindkraft på marint liv: En syntesrapport om kunskapsläget 2021. Naturvårdsverket. https://www.naturvardsverket.se/om-oss/publikationer/7000/978-91-620-7049-6/

Berkström C, Wennerström L, Bergström U (2021) Ecological connectivity of the marine protected area network in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak: Current knowledge and management needs. Ambio https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01684-x

Eggertsen M, Larsson J, Porseryd T, Åkerlund C, Chacin DH, Berkström C, Jiddawi N, Kautsky N, Halling C (2021) Coral-macroalgal interactions: Herbivory and substrate type influence growth of the macroalgae Eucheuma denticulatum (N.L. Burman) Collins & Hervey, 1917 on a tropical coral reef. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 542-543:151606 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022098121000964

Berkström C, Florin A-B, Fredriksson R, Lundström K, Bergström U (2021) Rapid effects of a fishing closure on whitefish (Coregonus maraena) in the northern Baltic Sea. Boreal Environ Res 26:79-87 http://www.borenv.net/BER/archive/pdfs/ber26/ber26-089-104.pdf

Pittman SJ, Yates KL, Bouchet PJ, Alvarez-Berastegui D, Andréfouët S, Bell SS, Berkström C, Boström C, Brown CJ, Connolly RM, Devillers R, Eggleston D, Gilby BL, Gullström M, Halpern BS, Hidalgo M, Holstein D, Hovel K, Huettmann F, Jackson EL, James WR, Kellner JB, Kot CY, Lecours V, Lepczyk C, Nagelkerken I, Nelson J, Olds AD, Santos RO, Scales KL, Schneider DC, Schilling HT, Simenstad C, Suthers IM, Treml EA, Wedding LM, Yates P, Young M (2021) Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science. Marine Ecology Progress Series 663:1-29 https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v663/p1-29/

Eggertsen M, Tano SA, Chacin DH, Eklöf JS, Larsson J, Berkström C, Buriyo AS, Halling C (2021) Different environmental variables predict distribution and cover of the introduced red seaweed Eucheuma denticulatum in two geographical locations. Biol Invasions https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02417-z

Faithfull C, Koehler B, Bergström U, Berkström C, Erlandsson M, Fetterplace L, Karlsson A, Olsson J, Svanfeldt K, Thor P, Wikström S A, Bergström L. (2021). Kunskapsunderlag för ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning i Bottenhavet. Aqua reports 2021:13. Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institutionen för akvatiska resurser, Öregrund Drottningholm Lysekil. 90. https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/25184/1/faithfull_c_et_al_210903.pdf

Eggertsen L, Goodell W, Cordeiro CAMM, Mendes TC, Longo GO, Ferreira CEL, Berkström C (2020) Seascape configuration leads to spatially uneven delivery of parrotfish herbivory across a Western Indian Ocean seascape. Diversity 12(10):434 https://doi.org/10.3390/d12110434

Eggertsen M, Chacin DH, van Lier J, Eggertsen L, Fulton CJ, Wilson S, Halling C, Berkström C (2020) Seascape configuration and fine-scale habitat complexity shape parrotfish distribution and function across a coral reef lagoon. Diversity 12(10):391 https://doi.org/10.3390/d12100391

Chacin DH, Stallings CD, Eggertsen M, Åkerlund C, Halling C, Berkström C (2020) Altered tropical seascapes influence patterns of fish assemblage and ecological functions in the Western Indian Ocean. Scientific Reports 10:12479 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68904-4

Fulton CJ, Berkström C, Wilson SK, Abesamis RA, Bradley M, Åkerlund C, Barrett LT, Bucol AA, Chacin DH, Chong-Seng KM, Coker DJ, Depczynski M, Eggersten L, Eggertsen M, Ellis D, Evans RD, Graham NAJ, Hoey AS, Holmes T, Kulbicki M, Leung PTY, Lam PKS, van Lier J, Matis PA, Noble MM, Pérez-Matus A, Piggot C, Radford BT, Tano S, Tinkler P (2020) Macroalgal meadow habitats support fish and fisheries in diverse tropical seascapes. Fish and Fisheries. DOI: 10.1111/ecog.04868 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/faf.12455

Berkström C, Eggertsen L, Goodell W, Cordeiro CAMM, Lucena, MB, Gustafsson R, Bandeira S, Jiddawi N and Ferreira CEL (2020) Thresholds in seascape connectivity: the spatial arrangement of nursery habitats structure fish communities on nearby reefs. Ecography. 43: 1-15. DOI: 10.1111/faf.12455 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecog.04868

Bostedt G, Berkström C, Brännlund R, Carlén O, Florin A-B, Persson L, Bergström U. Benefits and costs of two temporary  no-take zones (2020) Marine Policy 117:103883 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103883

Eggertsen M, Chacin DH, Åkerlund C, Halling C, Berkström C (2019) Contrasting distribution and foraging patterns of herbivorous and detritivorous fishes across multiple habitats in a tropical seascape. Marine Biology 166:51 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-019-3498-0

Berkström C, Papadopoulos M, Jiddawi NS, Nordlund, LM (2019) Fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) on connectivity and seascape management. Frontiers in Marine Science. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00130 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00130/abstract

Fulton CJ, Abesamis RA, Berkström C, Depczynski M, Graham NAJ, Holmes TH, Kulbicki M, Noble MM, Radford BT, Tano S, Tinkler P, Wernberg T, Wilson SK (2019) Form and function of tropical macroalgal reefs in the Anthropocene. Functional Ecology. doi:doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13282 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13282

Berkström C, Wennerström L, Bergström U. (2019). Ekologisk konnektivitet i svenska kust- och havsområden - en kunskapssammanställning. Aqua reports 2019:15. Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institutionen för akvatiska resurser, Öregrund Drottningholm Lysekil. 65. https://www.slu.se/globalassets/ew/org/inst/aqua/externwebb/sidan-publikationer/aqua-reports-xxxx_xx/aqua-reports-2019_15.pdf

Martin TSH, Olds AD, Olalde ABH, Berkström C, Gilby BL, Schlacher TA, Butler IR, Yabsley NA, Zann M, Connolly RM (2018) Habitat proximity exerts opposing effects on key ecological functions. Landscape Ecology 33:1273-1286 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10980-018-0680-6

Eggertsen L, Ferreira CEL, Fontoura L, Kautsky N, Gullström M, Berkström C (2017) Seaweed beds support more juvenile reef fish than seagrass beds in a south-western Atlantic tropical seascape. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.06.041

Tano SA, Eggertsen M, Wikström SA, Berkström C, Buriyo AS, Halling C (2017) Tropical seaweed beds as important habitats for juvenile fishes. Marine and Freshwater Research http://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF16153

Tano SA, Eggertsen M, Wikström SA, Berkström C, Buriyo AS, Halling C (2016) Tropical seaweed beds are important habitats for mobile invertebrate epifauna. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 183, Part A:1-12 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771416304425

Berkström C, Jones GP, McCormick MI. (2014) Trade-offs in the ecological versatility of juvenile wrasses: An experimental evaluation. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 453:91-97 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022098114000082

Berkström C, Gullström M, Lindborg R, Thyresson, M. (2013) Assessing connectivity in a tropical embayment: Fish migrations and seascape ecology. Biological Conservation 166:43-53 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000632071300195X

Berkström C, Jörgensen TL, Hellström M. (2013) Ecological connectivity and niche differentiation between two closely related fish species in the mangrove-seagrass-coral reef continuum. Marine Ecology Progress Series 477:201-215 http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v477/p201-215/

Berkström C, Jones GP, McCormick MI, Srinivasan M. (2012) Ecological versatility and its importance for the distribution and abundance of coral reef wrasses. Marine Ecology Progress Series 461:151-163 http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v461/p151-163/

Berkström C, Gullström M, Lindborg R, Mwandya AW, Yahya SAS, Kautsky N, Nyström M (2012) Exploring ‘knowns’ and ‘unknowns’ in tropical seascape connectivity with insights from East African coral reefs. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 107:1-21 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771412000935

Gullström M, Berkström C, Öhman MC, Bodin M, Dahlberg M. (2011) Scale-dependent patterns of variability of a grazing parrotfish (Leptoscarus vaigiensis) in a tropical seagrass-dominated seascape. Marine Biology 158:1483-1495 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-011-1665-z?no-access=true

Book chapters

Gullström M, Dorenbosch M, Lugendo B, Mwandya A, Mgaya Y, Berkström C. (2012) Biological connectivity and nursery function of shallow-water habitats in Chwaka Bay. In: de la Torre-Castro M, Lyimo T (eds.) People, nature and research: past, present and future of Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, pp 175-192. WIOMSA book series, ISBN: 978-9987-9559-1-6. Zanzibar Town: WIOMSA
http://www.wiomsa.org/people-nature-research-chwaka-bay

Popular science articles

Bergström U & Berkström C (2023) Fiskefria områden ger fler och större fiskar. Havsutsikt 2: 10-11 https://www.havet.nu/havsutsikt/artikel/fiskefria-omraden

Berkström C & Bergström U (2019) Nätverk gynnar spridning. Havsutsikt 2: 14-16 https://www.havet.nu/havsutsikt/artikel/natverk-gynnar-spridning

Berkström C (2015) Länkar i tropiska havslandskap Havsutsikt 2: 11-13 http://www.havet.nu/havsutsikt/?d=3474

Berkström C (2007) Odling räddar koraller. Havsutsikt 1: 6-7 http://www.havet.nu/dokument/HU20071korallodling.pdf

Berkström C (1999) Studier och dykning i kristallklara vatten - studentrapport från Australien. Havsutsikt 3: 4-5