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Imprint
The impact of changes in biodiversity in North Sea food webs caused by environmental factors and human activities (BioWeb)
Project
Project code: TI-SF-08-PID2347
Contract period: 01.11.2020
- 31.10.2023
Purpose of research: Applied research
Climate change, declining fishing pressure, and reduced nutrient inputs are shifting structure and functions in the ecosystem of the southern North Sea. In BioWeb, we explore the links between these environmental and land-use changes and trends in biodiversity.
The overall objective of BioWeb is to analyze changes in biodiversity within the food web of the southern North Sea, in order to investigate the extent to which they are caused by environmental processes and human influences. The focus lies on the impact of the factors fishing and nutrient input. Both have declined in intensity over recent decades, and they have opposing effects on the food web: reduced fishing increases the feeding pressure exerted by predators on smaller fish, indirectly affecting their prey. Meanwhile, lower nutrient concentrations at the base of the food web limit the primary production of phytoplankton. Together, BioWeb project partners investigate taxonomic groups across all levels of the food web to identify ecosystem-relevant changes, using functional traits. A food web model will be applied to generate predictions for alternative development scenarios, and to derive an impact assessment of future biodiversity changes. Possible consequences for commercially exploited species and for regional fisheries will be highlighted in an exchange with various stakeholders within the North Sea coastal area.
Section overview
Subjects
- Marine fisheries
- Agroecology
- Climate Change
- Mariculture
