METAICEROSS

Diversity and functioning of the microbial food web in relation to ice melting processes in the Ross Sea coastal ecosystem

Studies on the effects of sea ice melting processes on trophic state in Antarctic ecosystems have focused on phytoplankton and the effects on the food webs, from krill to penguins, while the influence on the microbial food web (viruses, prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes), which drives biogeochemical cycles and energy flows, have been largely ignored. The project will assess the consequences of ice melting on the diversity and functioning of the microbial food web in the pelagic ecosystem of the Terranova Bay coastal area (Ross Sea). The objectives are: (i) To investigate temporal variations in microbial biodiversity; (ii) To study the relationships between diversity and function; (iii) Assess the role of viral impact on biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles; (iv) identify environmental drivers that influence planktonic diversity and function; (v) shed light on interactions within planktonic trophic networks, and their response to ice melt. META-ICE-ROSS, coordinated by IRBIM CNR and conducted in collaboration with research groups from OGS, SZN and Marche Polytechnic University, will use innovative high-throughput sequencing methodologies of microbial DNA (metagenomics). The sampling strategy is based on the collection of water samples from early November to mid-January under pack ice, concurrently with the measurement of hydrological variables, along a transect of stations characterized by different thermohaline conditions. The innovative nature of META-ICE-ROSS will provide insight into the role of microbial communities, and their interactions, in the functioning of Antarctic coastal ecosystems, useful in understanding the consequences of climate change, and will provide information on the functioning of the pelagic food web and C utilization processes in the Ross Sea, useful in the context of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area and its management and monitoring plan.

Referent:

Gian Marco Luna

Director of Research

Ancona

SCOPRI DI PIÙ

Programme: PNRA

Web Site: http://metaiceross.irbim.cnr.it/

Duration: September 7, 2020 - September 6, 2023

Budget: 110.800,00 €

Budget IRBIM: 59.100,00 €

Areas of Research:

TEAM
Marco Basili

Research Fellow

Ancona

Alessandra Campanelli

Researcher

Ancona

Federica Grilli

Researcher

Ancona

Gian Marco Luna

Director of Research

Ancona

Grazia Marina Quero

Researcher

Ancona

Research Projects



Research Projects

The research activities of the Institute are carried out in the context of research, development and innovation projects, both national and international, based on regional funding programs (POR FEAMPA - Regional Operational Program of the European Maritime Affairs Fisheries Fund and Aquaculture and POR FESR - Regional Operational Program of the European Regional Development Fund) or ministerial (PRIN - Projects of relevant national interest, PNRA - National Research Program in Antarctica, PO FEAMPA - National Operational Program European Maritime Affairs Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund) , programs for European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg), direct funding programs of the European Commission (Horizon2020 and Horizon Europe, Life, JPI - Joint Programming Initiatives, ERA-NET Cofund) and thematic collaboration initiatives managed by international organizations such as, for example , the FAO - GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean). The Institute also develops funded projects in the context of collaborations with private companies in the sectors of the blue economy as well as technology transfer and research results. Research projects, mainly of a collaborative nature, are developed through a wide network of partners that include major Italian and foreign research institutions and universities.

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