The consequences of changes in biodiversity, natural and anthropogenic, for
the functioning of coastal ecosystems are not known. To address this
problem, two phenomena with regard to the (changes of) benthic
biodiversity, occurring along the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic coast,
will be unravelled. Firstly, of two dominant benthic species, the blue
edible mussel Mytilus sp. and the clam Macoma balthica, the strong
northeastward shift in distribution of several ecotypes along the European
coast, and the consequences for the coastal benthic community structure,
will be assessed. Secondly, the impact of low species numbers in the
Baltic, in comparison to a higher diversity in the Mediterranean and
Atlantic, on the production of coastal ecosystems will be studied. The
resulting indicators of biodiversity and (their relation with) ecosystem
functioning will be relevant to managers of environmental (coastal) quality
control.
|