Project description
Mapping resilience beneath the waves
Coral reefs and tropical rainforests are diverse ecosystems at risk from climate change and other pressures. Not all ecosystems with similar species respond the same way during stressful times. The local mix of species and their characteristics influences how resilient they are. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ReefCoRe project aims to understand how the arrangement of different species can affect their survival and growth. By using big data and modelling techniques, ReefCoRe will create new ways to connect traits of various species to the health of coral reefs. The goal is to improve how we can predict and protect these essential ecosystems amidst changing environments.
Objective
Thought to possess a greater trait redundancy across species, more biodiverse systems are considered better able to maintain their stability following disturbances. However, despite ranking amongst the planets most biodiverse ecoregions, tropical rainforests and coral reefs are highly vulnerable to ongoing global change. Meanwhile, the localised arrangement of species assemblages impacts the relative resilience of systems with comparable diversity, such that similar systems exhibit differing responses to the same disturbances. Consequently, predicting the viability of natural systems and implementing effective conservation action, requires a more nuanced understanding of how the local configuration of species traits mediates the effects of diversity on population-, community- and ecosystem-level stability. Through the proposed research project, ReefCoRe, I will evaluate how the spatial arrangement of functional diversity within ecological communities refines population resilience and, therefore, mediates ecosystem stability. I will firstly utilise comparative modelling approaches to explore how the spatial context of trait diversity influences the survival, growth, and recruitment of individuals across the tree of life. Next, I will scale-up these assessments to evaluate how coexistence between functional groups impacts upon measures of population performance and resilience. Finally, I will develop tools aimed at uniting measures of demographic performance and resilience with more established measures of coral reef health, providing a platform for continued research linking the dynamics of coral populations with the wider functioning of their reef environments. By distilling the association between the functional composition of natural communities and measures of population performance and resilience, ReefCoRe will contribute the necessary insight required to forecast the effects of biodiversity change on the future stability and functioning of global ecosystems.
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 physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
1749 016 Lisbon
Portugal
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.