| title: | Zooplankton dynamics and its implications to upper trophic levels in the ecosystem of the Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6751 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
1.16. Marine Sciences and Limnology |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Estonian Marine Institute |
| head of project: | Henn Ojaveer |
| duration: | 01.01.2006 - 31.12.2009 |
| description: | Mesozooplankton is an essential component of the pelagic food-web of intermediate and upper trophic levels of marine ecosystems. First data on zooplankton in the Gulf of Riga date back to early 1900s, the systematic continuous studies started soon after the WW II. One of the most recent aspects in zooplankton studies has been its long-term dynamics and identification of factors responsible for the observed changes. The spatio-temporal development as well as the species composition of mesozooplankton in the brackish Baltic Sea is to a great extent influenced by abiotic conditions - especially salinity and temperature, largely influenced by climate in the North-Atlantic region. Although plankton may not be the best indicator for tracking the effects of eutrophication/pollution, changes in chemical composition of the sea water have been found to be mirrored in the mesozooplankton variability. One of the most recent factors affecting mesozooplankton community structure and dynamics is the human-mediated invasion of alien species. Zooplankton plays an essential role in performance of the Baltic zooplanktivores: changes in the individual growth rate of the major zooplanktivores in the Blatic Sea, herring and sprat, can mostly be attributed to changes in their food resource – mesozooplankton. The general objective of the proposed sudy is identification of the long-term dynamics in phenology, diversity and abundance/biomass of the coastal mesozooplankton community in relation to several natural and human-mediated factors (e.g., climate, eutrophication, bioinvasions) and associated ecological processes using the long-term time-series from the Gulf of Riga since the late 1950’s based on high-frequency field sampling activities. The project combines field observations and results from laboratory experiments. The current project should be taken as follow-up activities of several completd and/or ongoing national and international projects (e.g., ETF grant 3604, EC FP6 project MARBEF, US State Department financed project on monitoring and ecological impacts of alien invasive species). |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Ain Lankov | |||
| 2. | Henn Ojaveer | Tartu Ülikooli Eesti Mereinstituut | ||
| 3. | Mart Simm | |||