Objective
Marine sediments constitute important sinks in the cycling of persistent organic contaminants released into our biosphere. Yet, sediments storing old discharges have now become major environmental pollution sources accounting for the propagation of organic contaminants and subsequent adverse effects along marine food chains worldwide. Thorough understanding of sedimentary biogeochemical and ecological processes affecting organic contaminant fate is thus crucial for accurate predictions of contaminant effect s on marine food webs. Microbes, especially bacteria, are considered main organic contaminant degraders in sediments and are thus highly important for ecosystem decontamination. Our present understanding of microbial contaminant degradation in marine sediments is limited, yet macrofaunal bioturbation appear highly important, and macrofaunal burrow linings were recently identified as hot spots for the microbial degradation of organic contaminants.
The main research objective is to explore the influence of burrowing macrofauna on microbial community diversity and microbial PAH (polyaromatic hydrocarbon) degradation in marine sediments. New molecular techniques (PCR-DGGE, RT-PCR) will be used to measure microbial diversity, and the presence/expression of microb ial PAH catabolic genes, along with traditional PAH degradation analyses. The fusion of molecular techniques, marine sediment ecotoxicology, and benthic ecology is a unique innovative aspect of the proposed research, involving extensive interdisciplinarity.
Aside from creating new knowledge on macrofaunal-microbial structure-function relationships in sediments, essential for the management of marine resources and habitats globally, the proposed project will generate a new ecotoxicological research direction. The high complementarity of the research training will strongly reinforce my scientific career by diversifying my ecotoxicological perspective while at the same time adding cutting edge focus.
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 genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology microbiomes
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences meteorology biosphera
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology bacteriomes
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geochemistry biogeochemistry
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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.
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.
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.
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-5
See other projects for this call
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.
Coordinator
AARHUS C
Denmark
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.