• Project state

  Ongoing

• Type of project

  Competitive project

• Begin date

  22 May 2023

• End date

  31 December 2023

Climate change promotes the dominance of cyanobacteria in aquatic environments, however the effect on benthic species is poorly known, especially in the Arctic and in the Alps. Here, lakes are very responsive to nutrient and temperature increase and cyanobacteria-dominating communities have been already observed. Toxic species may be favored, with consequences for ecosystem and water use. In this project, we want to study the benthic cyanobacteria community in Arctic lakes (Svalbard), with a focus on toxic species. Moreover, we want to explore the effect of climate warming on the ecosystem dynamics. The dataset will be analysed in the context of previous studies carried out in the Svalbard and compared to high-alpine lakes, to investigate similar responses in cyanobacterial communities. The project will provide new evidence on the effect of climate warming on benthic cyanobacteria distribution. Moreover, the results will support the foreseeing of the consequences of toxic cyanobacteria dominance in these aquatic sensitive ecosystems, to contain the risk for animal health and water uses.