234
play a crucial role in how species contribute to ecosystem
functions. However, little is known about how the food web
structure and the functional diversity of species influence
each other. Traits constitute a link between food webs and
ecosystem processes. On one hand, trophic interactions are
only possible when traits of the prey match with traits of the
predator (e.g., body size ratio between predator and prey).
On the other hand, functional traits influence species contributions to ecosystem functions (e.g., high diversity of foraging traits of predators increases their ability to exploit prey
resources and subsequently increases productivity of those
predators). We developed a new ecological network, the trait
web, which shows links between traits based on species trophic interactions. Using the Baltic Sea food web as a starting
point, the structural analysis of both, the food web and the
trait web, helps us to understand which species are important
for the stability of the ecosystem and which of their traits are
most likely to influence ecosystem functions. Using this dual
approach, we will be able to investigate how environmental
drivers (e.g., environmental gradients) alter the food web
structure by removing or allowing interactions (i.e., local
extinction or invasion) and how these changes may affect the
relationship between food webs and ecosystem functions.
11.2.3 Functional Diversity of Puck Bay –
The Role of Macrofauna in Ecosystem
Functioning
Marta Słomińska
1*
, Urszula Janas
1
, Halina Kendzierska
1
1
Institute of Oceanography, Department of Experimental
Ecology of Marine Organisms, Aleja Marszałka Piłsudskiego
46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
*corresponding author: m-slominska@wp.pl
Keywords: Functional diversity, BTA, Nutrient fluxes,
Puck Bay
Puck Bay, thanks for its geological characteristics and
nearness of urban agglomeration is a very interesting basin in
terms of the assessment of the anthropogenic impact on ecosystem health. Very important is to understand what are the
relations between the role of benthic macroinvertebrates and
ecosystem functioning. With this knowledge we are able to
create basis to conservation of valuable and sensitive habitats
of this animals. Functional diversity is a tool allowing us to
study the relationships of organisms with elementary factors
in ecosystems. In our study we concentrate on the role of
macrozoobenthos on organic matter cycles and oxygen and
nutrient fluxes on the sediment-water interface. To realize this
aim we compared 6 different coastal biotopes of Puck Bay,
including Mytilus beds, Zostera meadows and different types
of sediments, for structural and functional diversity using
inter alia Biological Trait Analyses (BTA). This approach
depends on the use of faunal characteristics to assess the benthic functional structure. A substantial work was to select
existing and also to create new functional traits to describe the
real impact of organisms on studied factors. Preliminary
results shows that among all analyzed biotopes the most different according to functional diversity was Mytilus bed. This
study was realized within BONUS- COCOA project.
11.3 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
11.3.1 High Functional Redundancy in the North
Sea Benthic System
Mehdi Gh Shojaei
1
*, Lars Gutow
2
, Jennifer Dannheim
2
,
Thomas Brey
2
1
Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine
Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
2
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and
Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven,
Germany
*corresponding author: shojaeimgh@gmail.com
Keywords: Biodiversity, Functional diversity, Functional
traits, Redundancy, North Sea
The relationship between species biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) has recently become an important
subject in marine ecosystem studies. BEF relationships have
usually been studied by creating random species assemblages or by experimentally manipulating species richness.
Whereas biological trait analysis have emerged as a promising way for addressing ecological functioning based on traits
exhibited by members of biological assemblages. We used
the functional diversity (FD) as a surrogate of actual ecosystem functioning. The relationship between species richness
and FD of the North Sea benthos was best explained by a
positive power function. The model predicts that at low species numbers, variation in taxonomic diversity induces substantial changes in FD. In contrast, in species-rich
assemblages, a change in taxonomic diversity would have
only minor effects on the functionality, indicating a high
functional redundancy of the benthic assemblage.
Functionally redundant ecosystems are assumed to be particularly resilience to environmental disturbance as
ecosystem functioning is buffered against species loss by
mutual compensation of functionally similar species.
12 Microplastics in Aquatic Habitats –
Environmental Concentrations
and Consequences
Thea Hamm
1
, Claudia Lorenz
2
, and Sarah Piehl
3
1
GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel,
Germany
2
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for
Polar and Marine Research, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland,
Postbox 180, 27483 Helgoland, Germany
Appendices
play a crucial role in how species contribute to ecosystem
functions. However, little is known about how the food web
structure and the functional diversity of species influence
each other. Traits constitute a link between food webs and
ecosystem processes. On one hand, trophic interactions are
only possible when traits of the prey match with traits of the
predator (e.g., body size ratio between predator and prey).
On the other hand, functional traits influence species contributions to ecosystem functions (e.g., high diversity of foraging traits of predators increases their ability to exploit prey
resources and subsequently increases productivity of those
predators). We developed a new ecological network, the trait
web, which shows links between traits based on species trophic interactions. Using the Baltic Sea food web as a starting
point, the structural analysis of both, the food web and the
trait web, helps us to understand which species are important
for the stability of the ecosystem and which of their traits are
most likely to influence ecosystem functions. Using this dual
approach, we will be able to investigate how environmental
drivers (e.g., environmental gradients) alter the food web
structure by removing or allowing interactions (i.e., local
extinction or invasion) and how these changes may affect the
relationship between food webs and ecosystem functions.
11.2.3 Functional Diversity of Puck Bay –
The Role of Macrofauna in Ecosystem
Functioning
Marta Słomińska
1*
, Urszula Janas
1
, Halina Kendzierska
1
1
Institute of Oceanography, Department of Experimental
Ecology of Marine Organisms, Aleja Marszałka Piłsudskiego
46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
*corresponding author: m-slominska@wp.pl
Keywords: Functional diversity, BTA, Nutrient fluxes,
Puck Bay
Puck Bay, thanks for its geological characteristics and
nearness of urban agglomeration is a very interesting basin in
terms of the assessment of the anthropogenic impact on ecosystem health. Very important is to understand what are the
relations between the role of benthic macroinvertebrates and
ecosystem functioning. With this knowledge we are able to
create basis to conservation of valuable and sensitive habitats
of this animals. Functional diversity is a tool allowing us to
study the relationships of organisms with elementary factors
in ecosystems. In our study we concentrate on the role of
macrozoobenthos on organic matter cycles and oxygen and
nutrient fluxes on the sediment-water interface. To realize this
aim we compared 6 different coastal biotopes of Puck Bay,
including Mytilus beds, Zostera meadows and different types
of sediments, for structural and functional diversity using
inter alia Biological Trait Analyses (BTA). This approach
depends on the use of faunal characteristics to assess the benthic functional structure. A substantial work was to select
existing and also to create new functional traits to describe the
real impact of organisms on studied factors. Preliminary
results shows that among all analyzed biotopes the most different according to functional diversity was Mytilus bed. This
study was realized within BONUS- COCOA project.
11.3 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
11.3.1 High Functional Redundancy in the North
Sea Benthic System
Mehdi Gh Shojaei
1
*, Lars Gutow
2
, Jennifer Dannheim
2
,
Thomas Brey
2
1
Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine
Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
2
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and
Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven,
Germany
*corresponding author: shojaeimgh@gmail.com
Keywords: Biodiversity, Functional diversity, Functional
traits, Redundancy, North Sea
The relationship between species biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) has recently become an important
subject in marine ecosystem studies. BEF relationships have
usually been studied by creating random species assemblages or by experimentally manipulating species richness.
Whereas biological trait analysis have emerged as a promising way for addressing ecological functioning based on traits
exhibited by members of biological assemblages. We used
the functional diversity (FD) as a surrogate of actual ecosystem functioning. The relationship between species richness
and FD of the North Sea benthos was best explained by a
positive power function. The model predicts that at low species numbers, variation in taxonomic diversity induces substantial changes in FD. In contrast, in species-rich
assemblages, a change in taxonomic diversity would have
only minor effects on the functionality, indicating a high
functional redundancy of the benthic assemblage.
Functionally redundant ecosystems are assumed to be particularly resilience to environmental disturbance as
ecosystem functioning is buffered against species loss by
mutual compensation of functionally similar species.
12 Microplastics in Aquatic Habitats –
Environmental Concentrations
and Consequences
Thea Hamm
1
, Claudia Lorenz
2
, and Sarah Piehl
3
1
GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel,
Germany
2
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for
Polar and Marine Research, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland,
Postbox 180, 27483 Helgoland, Germany
Appendices