Pollution & Climate Change

Marine communities are more and more under pressure from direct or indirect human impacts. Today, there is scientific consensus that environmental tipping points are being crossed, and many species are adapting (or failing to adapt) to novel climatic and environmental conditions. The Marine Biology research group focuses on advancing the field of climate change ecology and toxicology by studying the impact of pollutants and climate change on natural systems. We are interested in how communities cope with those changes at the level of individuals and populations and how these then combine to form ecological patterns across spatial scales. The results from those cutting edge studies, based on field sampling and experimental setups, will allow stakeholders to make correct decisions with respect to climate change and pollution mitigation.

Several specific subjects are investigated at the Marine Biology Research Group:

• The effects of anthropogenic pollutants on animal fitness and behaviour

• The effects of pollutants on species interactions and on ecosystem functioning

• Impacts of (micro)plastics in the marine environment

• Environmental toxicology

• Stress and ecophysiology

• Sea ice decline