Abstract
Interactions between the open water and sediment food web are fundamental ecosystem processes. The Baltic Sea is a prime example illustrating that benthic and pelagic energy flows are coupled in a variety of ways that need to be studied in conjunction to fully understand the functioning of this ecosystem. Yet, the pelagic and benthic food webs are often studied as separate compartments, and so far there has been few real attempts to make a comprehensive holistic analysis of the extensive decadal datasets gathered in various monitoring programs. The proposed research aims to disentangle how shifts in pelagic and benthic species composition can affect the flux of organic matter and nutritional quality of settling material. We will i) use long-term (>30 yrs) monitoring data in the Northern Baltic Proper to investigate to what extent environmental variables contribute to observed biological changes in phytoplankton and benthic community structure and relationships between planktonic and benthic dynamics, ii) estimate quantitative and qualitative reciprocal fluxes of particulate organic matter using experiments, and iii) use this information to project functional species traits under future climate and nutrient scenarios. This project will provide new knowledge that has key implications to achieve a healthy marine environment and sustainable use of resources, the ultimate goal of the EU-Marine Strategy Framework Directive and HELCOM?s Baltic Sea Action Plan.
Sweden