Effects of multiple stressors on freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functioning  (MUSE)

“RESEARCH COOPEABILITY” Programme

Project leader: Dr. Ana Previšić, Assoc. Professor
Project co-leader: Prof. Dr. Mira Petrović

Beneficiary: Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb

Co-leader Partner: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain 

Partners: Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), Zagreb, Croatia
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
WasserCluster Lunz, Lunz, Austria

Duration: 01.11. 2019. - 31.05.2023.

The project aims at advancing our knowledge on effects of multiple stressors on: I) freshwater biodiversity, and on II) ecosystem functioning and aquatic-terrestrial habitat linkage (ATHL). These objectives will be approached by combining field-based research (in situ) and laboratory (mesocosm) experiments. More specifically, we aim at providing novel insights into species- and lineage-specific responses to environmental stressors through application of the DNA barcoding. This approach provides estimation of evolutionary lineage diversity in macroinvertebrate indicator taxa in multiple stressor environment (e.g. toxicants & climate change). Furthermore, we will measure transfer of emerging contaminants (ECs: PhACs, EDCs, antibiotics) through the ATHL in order to provide essential links necessary for evaluation of routes and mechanisms of ECs transfer through food webs and ecosystems. These are essential for development of more realistic biomagnification scenarios of ECs within a multiple stressor environment.