Ecosystem function
Human populations and the global economy have a heavy reliance
on the goods and services provided for free by coastal waters.
Although covering only 10% of the Earth’s surface, coastal seas
deliver up to 30% of marine production and 90% of marine fisheries.
Some temperate marine ecosystems are amongst the most productive on
Earth and it is clear that the organisms within these ecosystems
are instrumental in the provision of these services. However, the
precise role played by biodiversity in supporting ecosystem
processes is as yet unknown.
PML brings together molecular and macro ecologists, with
expertise in both benthic and pelagic systems, in laboratory
experiments and field observations to determine the role of marine
organisms in driving biogeochemical processes. These studies look
at the whole ecosystem and include both direct biological-chemical
interactions and the study of more complex ecological
relationships.
Projects