More than 50 scientists from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have been looking at a mathematical modelling system known as MICE (Models of Intermediate Complexity in Ecosystems), which helps to measure wider interactions in marine ecosystems, said Alistair Dunn, a fisheries scientist for the New Zealand government's National Institute of water and Atmospheric Research.

MICE models had real potential to provide scientific and objective advice to policy makers. They had already been used in some instances as decision-making tools by policy makers internationally, such as linking the effect of fishing prey species and their larger fish predators in the Baltic Sea as a way of better estimating sustainable fishing levels.

Humans were an important part of the ecosystem and were always present in the models.

Scientists were still learning how to best deploy the new methods and were still learning the consequences of the new approach, including how to best present complex scientific ideas and model results to managers and policy advisors.