Biodiversity and community composition in a stressed and more variable ocean.

Biodiversity in marine ecosystems is affected by multiple stressors. Next to chemical pollution, also climate change-related stressors affect marine ecosystems and will continue to do so for centuries. The combined effect of chemical stress, and changes in the mean and variance of temperature on marine community composition and diversity is unknown and potential shifts in ecosystem functioning have not been quantified. Hence, in the present research proposal I integrate a challenging combination of original experimental designs (multiple stressors tests) and novel statistical models (modified Lotka Volterra models). The aim is to empirically and theoretically asses and quantify interaction effects of chemical stress and climate stress to structural and functional marine community characteristics and their stability.