The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

is a research museum of the Leibniz Association

Particle aggregation in tropical reef ecosystems under local and global stressors

Date: 
Mon, 12/11/2017 - 5:15pm
Meeting point: 
Lecture haal, Poppelsdorfer Schloss
Event type: 
Lecture
Event series: 
Colloquium on evolution and biodiversity
Target group: 
Studierende
Lecturer: 
Dr. Astrid Gärdes, Bremen

Local stressors such as coastal eutrophication in tropical ecosystems have long been assumed to be a key driver of detrimental community shifts in fringing and patch reefs at varying distances from the coast.

In combination with increasing global stressors such as high inorganic carbon concentrations the formation and settling of aggregates significantly increases and may contribute to the mortality of benthic organisms in coral reef ecosystems.

Two contrasting conditions, eutrophic coastal vs. oligotrophic outer shelf zones, were investigated in terms of nutrient dynamics, aggregate formation and sedimentation rates, as well as bacterial community composition.

Findings suggest that mechanisms of immediate nutrient uptake, aggregate formation and onsite sedimentation rates close to shore prevent an increase nutrient and organic matter loading to oligotrophic shelf waters and therefore mitigate major damage in coral reefs under constant anthropogenic pressure.

Contact person

Head of Section
+49 228 9122-241
+49 228 9122-295
h.waegele [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Colloquium on biology

Prof. Dr. H. Wägele
Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig,
Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany
 
Prof. Dr. G. von der Emde
Institute of Zoology, Poppelsdorfer Schloss,
Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115 Bonn, Germany

Place: Great lecture hall, Poppelsdorfer Schloß
Time: mondays, 17.15 h