(GU) ECOLOGY

For a long time the great part of our scientific activity has taken place in the Arctic and recently in the Antarctic as well. We work there on the basis of polar stations: The Stanisław Siedlecki Polish Polar Station in Hornsund, SW Spitsbergen and The Henryk Arctowski Antarctic Station on King George Island, Admiralty Bay. However, we also camp in other polar regions e.g. in Magdalenefjorden (NW Spitsbergen) or Bear Island.

The wide sphere of our studies includes:

Ecological assessment and monitoring; with particular emphasis on themes concerning marine ecology, including ecology of seagrass and algal habitats; and environmental impacts of aquaculture, coastal development and other anthropogenic activities.

MERG’s research work focuses on: (1) characterisation of benthic habitats; (2) monitoring of changes to local marine life resulting from ongoing environmental changes (e.g. warming sea temperatures, species range expansions, invasion by non-indigenous species); (3) assessing the services provided by habitats and ecosystems (i.e. their resource potential); (4) monitoring the effects of human impacts on these habitats; (5) evaluating the conservation status of local coastal and marine living resources.

• changes in vegetation of lakes as a result of human pressure and global warming;
• functional diversity of vegetation in lake ecosystems; 
• stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in lakes;

LEMAR is a strongly interdisciplinary laboratory that brings together ecologists, biologists, biogeochemists, chemists, physicists and marine environment lawyers. Its objectives are (1) to conduct research on topics of fundamental research or societal importance; (2) to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development objectives in both North and South countries; (3) to bring innovations in relation to the economic world and results that support public policies; (4) to engage in interdisciplinary training in the field of marine and coastal science.