Functioning and evolution
of marine ecosystems

ISMAR conducts research on marine ecosystems, from transitional and coastal to deep-sea.

Particular attention is paid to the study of the structure and functioning of planktonic and benthic habitats and communities. Long-term changes in the phenology and diversity of different marine communities as a function of climate change and the impact of human activities are also investigated.

From this perspective, of paramount importance is the study of ecosystems at observational sites considered to be of particular importance for understanding the interactions in the environment between different physical, chemical and biological processes. Such an approach makes it possible to extract key information for investigations of the dynamics of interaction between physical-oceanographic forcings and ecological processes, particularly the structural, dimensional, and functional biodiversity of communities.

This knowledge is the basis for environmental planning, conservation and management actions required by community strategies. Specifically, ISMAR conducts activities in three specific knowledge areas: i) community and habitat change in response to global change, ii) impact of anthropogenic activities on marine ecosystems (e.g., study of alien and invasive species introduction, spread of potentially toxic algal species, microplastics), iii) biomonitoring and bioassessment in support of other public agencies.