INBALANCE

Invertebrate-Bacterial Associations as Hotpots of Benthic Nitrogen Cycling In Estuarine Ecosystems

Project title: „Invertebrate-bacterial associations as hotspot of benthic nitrogen cycling in estuarine ecosystems (INBALANCE)”
Project No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0069
Project duration: from 2017-12 to 2021-12
Summary: Project aim – quantify target microbial nitrogen transformations processes in benthic invertebrate hosts (suspension filter feeders and deposit feeders) and identify specify of animal-bacterial associations along spatial and physical-chemical gradients (geography and eutrophication). The project is step forward in disentangling the complexity of benthic nitrogen cycling and integrates traditional (process rates measurements) with more recent ones targeting transcriptomic.
Planned results: Results will provided quantitative information about ecological interaction between microorganism and they benthic invertebrate host in regulating nitrogen cycling in shallow. Targeting not only rates, but also metagenome, our approach would make it possible to depict the complete nitrogen cycle, and validate the importance of quantified pathways, which is relevant for future environmental monitoring programs. This will be essential to preserve coastal habitats as requested under the Europe Union (EU) Directive and in order to achieve a good environmental status as required under EU Marine Strategy Framework directive.

Project is founded from the European Social Fund according to the activity No. 09.33.3-LMT-K-712 "Improvement of researchers qualification by implementing world-class R&D projects of Measure"