A decade of mizer: A systematic review of advancements and applications of size spectrum modeling in aquatic ecosystems

Abstract

This systematic review examines the use of the mizer R package, a tool for multi-species size-spectrum modeling of marine ecosystems, over the past decade. We analyzed 43 publications, including peer-reviewed articles and academic theses, to highlight its contributions, strengths and limitations across various research domains. We grouped studies into five categories: fisheries management and policy, ecosystem dynamics and species interactions, methodological advances, climate change projections, and broad-scale ecological studies. Geographically, the majority of studies were concentrated in marine ecosystems, particularly in the North Sea and Haizhou Bay, China. Our visualizations, including maps, timelines, Sankey diagrams, and a scientific collaboration network, revealed strong international collaboration, with the UK, Australia, and the USA emerging as central hubs in the global research network. The mizer package has evolved through various extensions such as therMizer, MizerShelf and MizerEvo, broadening its application in studying climate impacts and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Overall, mizer has proven to be a valuable tool in advancing our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and informing sustainable management practices. Despite its widespread use in theoretical and exploratory studies, direct applications of mizer-derived strategies in real-world fisheries management remain limited, underscoring the challenges of integrating complex models into decision-making frameworks. We identify several opportunities to enhance mizer’s practical relevance, including the development of validation datasets and benchmarking protocols, comparative evaluation with other ecosystem models, structured sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, and incorporation of socio-environmental feedbacks. We also highlight key technical limitations, such as the absence of automated parameter optimization and the reliance on equilibrium-based model structure, which currently constrain its use in dynamic or data-limited contexts. Addressing these challenges will be critical for advancing the integration of size-spectrum modeling into ecosystem-based management and policy.