My PhD project forms part of the national coordinated project (Verbundprojekt) “Biological Impacts of Ocean ACIDification" (BIOACID). Under the subproject 4.2.1: “Ocean acidification effects on marine community structure and food chains”, two PhD projects are carried out at the BAH, one focusing on algae and copepods and this one focusing on bacterial communities. The aim of this PhD project is thus to elucidate the effects of ocean acidification on marine bacterial communities with a special focus on indirect effects resulting from possible future food web alterations.

The starting point will be to investigate whether a reduction in sea water pH alone causes shifts in the bacterial community structure. Analyses will be done by molecular fingerprinting methods.

In a second part of the project, the indirect effects of ocean acidification on bacterial communities will be investigated. Here a close cooperation with the second BIOACID PhD student working at the BAH will be established. The central questions will be how organisms cope with the extra carbon (respiration / excretion / C:N:P stoichiometry) and how extra carbon release affects bacterial community composition.

• BIOACID is a BMBF joint project
• POLMAR PhD student