This project investigates how beach management impacts small coastal animals (meio- and mesofauna) inhabiting the sediment. By combining DNA megabarcoding with ecological trait analysis, the study explores whether a decline in species richness leads to a loss of functional richness, or if these biodiversity metrics become decoupled under stress.
Backgroundand context
Sandy beaches and dunes are active ecosystems inhabited by highly biodiverse communities of microscopic animals, such as meiofauna (e.g., nematodes) and mesofauna (e.g., springtails). These organisms drive essential natural processes, including organic matter breakdown and nutrient recycling. However, intensive coastal management practices, such as mechanical beach cleaning and large-scale sand nourishments, can severely disrupt these habitats by altering sand grain size and natural food sources.
A major ecological question is how these disturbances affect the relationship between species richness (how many species are present) and functional richness (how many ecological roles they perform). In undisturbed environments, these measures are often coupled. However, under the stress of coastal management, they may become decoupled. Disturbance might lead to the loss of unique feeding or movement strategies, causing a drop in functional richness even if generalist species survive. If this loss of functional diversity occurs, the ecosystem loses buffering capacity. With fewer ecological roles being fulfilled, the ecosystem becomes more vulnerable to subsequent major impacts—such as severe storms, pollution, or climate shifts—because it lacks the biological resilience needed to recover.
Because meiofaunal species are often difficult to identify visually, this project overcomes the traditional taxonomic bottleneck by using high-throughput DNA megabarcoding. By combining this advanced molecular approach with functional trait analyses, the project will reveal whether species and functional richness remain coupled or decouple under coastal management, providing vital insights into ecosystem vulnerability.
Objectivesand goals
The student will assess how different intensities of beach management impact coastal meio- and mesofauna. The primary goal is to use high-throughput DNA megabarcoding and functional trait analysis to quantify both species and functional richness, determining if these two dimensions of biodiversity remain coupled or become disconnected under anthropogenic stress.
Materialsand methods
The project relies on sediment sampling across beaches and dunes with varying management intensities. Community composition will be identified using DNA megabarcoding to efficiently capture the full spectrum of species richness. This molecular data will be paired with biological trait analysis and ecological modeling in R to measure functional richness and statistically test for coupling or decoupling across the disturbance gradients.
Schematic overview of the methodological workflow and the core ecological hypotheses.
Studentrequirements
Interest in coastal ecology, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. Basic experience with statistics and ecological data analysis is expected. Experience with R, functional trait databases, or handling molecular data is a strong advantage. The project is suitable for motivated BSc and MSc students wanting to connect molecular tools with fundamental ecological questions.