The Marine Ecosystem Dynamics Lab

Our group is a research team that focuses on studying marine environments along the continental shelf, from various shallow regions, through the mesophotic zone to the deep seas. Its goal is to distinguish between natural and manmade environmental disturbances in the past, present, and future and to increase knowledge of the ecological and anthropogenic impacts on space, depth, and time. The laboratory provides a comprehensive review of the theoretical, practical, and applied aspects of the dynamics of marine ecosystems and related environments.

Research

Our research covers a broad spectrum of ecological, evolutionary, and environmental sciences. We are particularly interested in temporal processes, which shape ecosystems along depth gradients and the dynamic adaptation capacity of marine organisms during disturbances, such as climate change. Hermatypic (reef-building) corals, for example, are exceptional experimental holobiont organisms, allowing for the study of adaptation capacity to pollution, water quality, light gradients, temperature oscillations, sedimentary regimes, depth and latitudinal gradients, and over temporal scales.

In our research, we employ different methodologies of field surveys and experimental testing to elucidate the biological, ecological, and environmental mechanisms by which these organisms persist and flourish in different habitats.