Project description
Field data is informing models of the evolution of coralline algae over the millennia
The Mediterranean is the largest and deepest enclosed sea on Earth and a hotspot of biodiversity, with over 20 000 species. Coralline algae are among them. These coral-looking algae are actually pink stony seaweed that has inhabited the region for more than 140 million years. Coralline algae are engineers, producing or consolidating habitats produced by other living organisms, for example growing as a crust to fill gaps in coral reefs like the cement holding bricks together. Given their importance for marine ecosystems and their survival throughout environmental perturbations, enhancing our understanding of coralline algae can help us protect them in the face of human-induced changes. The EU-funded RhodoMalta project is analysing acoustic data, core samples and data collected by robotic explorers to develop a model of coralline algae evolution that will help us understand the past and prepare for the future.
Objective
Coralline algae are an important group of benthic marine organisms that form unique, but endangered, biotopes on the seafloor. Coralline algae, have been a notable component of the Mediterranean realm for millions of years and persist to this very day. This is in spite of the multiple environmental perturbations that the Mediterranean had experienced, such as its decupling from other oceanic basins in the past to anthropogenic forcing in the present. As such, the deposits from by coralline algae can allow us to study some of the most significant environmental perturbations in the Mediterranean, explore habitat resilience and improve our understanding of this environment in general. To do so, this project will explore multiple occurrences of coralline algae in the south central Mediterranean using a one of a kind comprehensive data and sample set. This includes both extensive seafloor and sub-seafloor acoustic data, over 1.5km of cored material penetrating multiple ancient coralline rich units, ROV dives from modern living coralline biotopes and compilation of data from the rest of the region. The project will implement cross-disciplinary integration of this data set in a holistic fashion, inducting the researcher into seafloor studies. Together, these elements will give the fellow the ability to explore novel and inventive tools for detailed investigation of these deposits. The combined approach will produce a comprehensive model of the behaviour and evolution of corallines in the Mediterranean over key periods of the last 25 Myr. This work will expend the fellows’ multidisciplinary capacity and will promote the career development of this young researcher within the European community. The products of this project will be made available to the public across multiple venues to be used to promote truism and provide bases for planers and dissection makers in respect to the possible effect on coralline algae rich environments.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.4. - SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-WF-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
MSD 2080 MSIDA
Malta
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.