Projects - LM (Lea) Kornau MSc
Artificial Structures and the functioning of the North Sea EcoSyStem (ASSESS)
The presence of artificial hard structures (e.g., production platforms and offshore wind farms) in soft sediment environments offers new habitat for fouling organisms, such as mussels and anemones. Many of these organisms are suspension feeders that filter organic matter from the water column and biodeposit it on the seafloor close to the structure in the form of (pseudo)faeces, thereby transferring energy from the pelagic to the benthic environment. As a consequence, different aspects of ecosystem functioning can be altered. Considering the planned expansion of offshore wind energy production, understanding these changes becomes more and more relevant.
The ASSESS project therefore aims to quantify changes in North Sea ecosystem functioning as a consequence of artificial hard structure introduction. Among others, the effects on the trophic structure, nutrient cycling and carbon flow in the surrounding soft sediment will be studied using stable isotope analysis, incubation chambers, and pulse-chase experiments.
