Links between biodiversity and ecosystem balance
The EC-funded BASICS project focused partner efforts on the identification of the marine bacterial species involved in the carbon and sulphur cycles. The first step in the process was the examination of marine microbial diversity and the link between diversity and key functions of the marine ecosystems. Part of the analysis of these marine ecosystems was the study of the difference between a variety of spatial as well as temporal parameters. In other words, scientists looked at the way marine microbial communities vary at different depths and loci, vertical and horizontal and at different time points, from hours to seasons. These observations took place at a specific point of research in the Mediterranean sea. Studies showed that differences in the community structures occurred at distances greater than 9 km from the coast and at specific depths. On the other hand, seasonal changes were concurrent with phytoplankton booms and environmental changes. These studies could form the basis of more extensive research in the Mediterranean basin aimed at shedding light on the links between biodiversity and ecological balance.
