Physiology of the early life stages

Almost all marine, cold-blooded animals go through a complicated life cycle with different life stages at different times of the year and in different habitats (e.g.: in the water column and on the bottom). Ocean warming, ocean acidification and decreasing oxygen in the world's oceans in the wake of rapid climate change pose a challenge to all life stages. We are interested in identifying the critical life stages of marine organisms. We do comparative studies on eggs, larvae, juveniles and adults from the molecular to the whole-animal level.

The critical life stages of an organism determine the dispersal patterns we find in the wild. If they do not survive, a species cannot successfully colonise.

Head of group

Dr. Daniela Storch