Ecosystem Modelling
Our mission is to improve our knowledge about the spatial shifts of the benthic communities of the West Antarctic Peninsula, the Weddell Sea and South Patagonian Fjords due to increasing temperatures and glacier and sea ice melt.
The Southern Ocean and the West Antarctic Peninsula in particular face increasing climate change pressures. International initiatives such as the Southern Ocean Action Plan (UN Decade 2021-2030) aim to protect this unique ecosystem. The quantified contribution of seafloor organisms to ecosystem services, such as carbon storage and cycling, is still under-researched. Gaining better knowledge of their functions can help ensure that conservation measures, such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), effectively address the essential ecological processes necessary for ocean health. Beside classical methods for the analysis of benthic ecosystems, we apply spatial modeling of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, mapping, and integrate remote sensing approaches.
