Project structure

As a result of human activities, coastal marine coastal systems are subjected to simultaneous changes in environmental parameters such as dissolved nutrient concentrations, temperature, acidity, and noise. 

Given their central role in marine food webs, planktonic organisms are of vital importance for healthy ecosystems. They are key indicators of ecosystem change and are therefore the core groups studied by the Food Web working group. We study the effects of changes in environmental drivers on coastal planktonic organisms, using a unique suite of approaches combining indoor laboratory and field mesocosm experiments, field sampling, and analyses of long-term ecological research data. This enables us to quantify alterations in organismal physiology, population dynamics, community structure, and food web interactions. 

Overall, our work yields scientific information needed to efficiently support the management of coastal systems.