Objective
Sea- and saltmarsh grasses thrive along most of Earths coastlines. They form the basis for some of the most ecologically and economically valuable ecosystems on the planet that are also major blue carbon sinks. One of the main challenges these marine flowering plants faced during their evolution back into the sea millions of years ago, and one that global change is currently intensifying, is toxic sulfide accumulation around their roots, produced by microorganisms. Like on land, marine plants associate with specific communities of microorganisms, but much less is known about their roles in the health and evolution of their hosts. Intriguingly, one group of microorganisms, Sedimenticolaceae, is virtually ubiquitous in molecular surveys of sea- and saltmarsh grass roots, and is often enriched in root vs rhizosphere or sediment. Their known relatives are beneficial sulfide-oxidizing, nitrogen-fixing symbionts of marine animals, however, their function in sea- and saltmarsh grasses is unknown. SeaSyms central goal is to reveal the biodiversity and functional roles of widespread symbioses with Sedimenticolaceae, to understand the ecological networks in which they function and evolve, and to understand how global change could shift their future functioning. SeaSym will use established and novel tools to understand symbiont diversity, function and dispersal, in the context of natural yet complex plant-associated microbial communities. My overarching hypothesis is that Sedimenticolaceae is a widespread symbiont of sea- and saltmarsh grasses, directly influencing host health and shaping element cycling in coastal ecosystems. Just as diverse land plants rely on symbioses with Rhizobia for nitrogen, I propose that diverse marine plants rely on Sedimenticolaceae that provide nitrogen whilst removing toxic sulfide. If so, this so far largely overlooked symbiosis could be one of the most important in terms of current ecological and past evolutionary significance.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
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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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2023-COG
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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.
1010 WIEN
Austria
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.