Objective In Arctic areas the extremely low temperature over the whole year and the absence of light over prolonged periods form unique features which require unique adaptations of the endemic organisms. Moreover, these organisms have to adapt nowadays to anthropogenic disturbances. Since human activities concentrate mostly where rivers meet the sea, the impact of changes in marine systems will be felt most strongly by the benthic organisms that cannot escape from natural and anthropogenic stress. This study in the Arctic coastal area is aimed at comparing and understanding: the present biodiversity of benthos in pristine and disturbed Arctic ecosystems, and the adaptative strategies of some Arctic benthic key species under natural and anthropogenic stress. To measure the biodiversity, a field expedition to determine the benthic community composition in several coastal and estuarine areas in the White Sea, Pechora Bay and Kara Sea will be carried out. To determine adaptive strategies of key species some ecophysiological features of two bivalves, Macoma balthica and Mytilus edulis, will be measured quarterly at field stations. Simultaneously, laboratory experiments will be carried out to test the stress-sensitivity of the key-species and to indicate the influence of natural (short light and food season, low temperature) and anthropogenic (pollution, global change) stress. During the field studies an inventory will be made of the biogeochemical characteristics at the sampling stations to assess the (possible stress from) environmental conditions. In the project seven west and east European institutes will contribute with their specialities. For the Russian institutes the major expertise lies in the field of biodiversity through a profound knowledge of community structure analyses and taxonomy. For the west European institutes the expertise is centred around ecophysiological, toxicological and biogeochemical analysis in experimental research and detailed field studies. At each participating institute in Russia a PhD student will be identified for training at the institutes of INTAS member states. Furthermore, the NIS laboratories will be updated in order to ensure an optimal transfer of know-how in both directions and carry out the basic field work and laboratory experiments. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Topic(s) 54 - Oceanology and Geohydrology Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Netherlands Institute of Ecology EU contribution No data Address Vierstraat 28 4401 EA Yerseke Netherlands See on map Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov Russia EU contribution No data Address 119899 Moscow See on map Total cost No data Russian Academy of Sciences Russia EU contribution No data Address 183023 Murmansk See on map Total cost No data Russian Academy of Sciences Russia EU contribution No data Address 199034 St. Petersburg See on map Total cost No data Universitat de Barcelona Spain EU contribution No data Address 08028 Barcelona See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Pisa Italy EU contribution No data Address Via San Zeno 35-39 56100 Pisa See on map Total cost No data Université de Nantes France EU contribution No data Address 44035 Nantes See on map Total cost No data