CORE conducts research on current and emerging issues in coral reef ecology, main areas of interest are:
We are investigating the impact of variable environmental factors (biotic and abiotic) and the influence of climate change on physiological processes (e.g. photosynthesis, growth, calcification, feeding and reproduction) of selected key organism groups, with special emphasis on ecosystem engineers, and their early life stages.
This theme addresses the sensitivity of benthic communities to anthropogenic disturbances (such as climate change, over-harvesting and nutrient enrichment). We look at the interactions and composition of different taxonomic groups to assess the community dynamics from an ecosystem level.
Here we examine the transport and exchange of organic matter and energy within and between reef ecosystems (e.g. coupling processes between the seafloor and the water column). This research further allows to linkage adjacent marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Group leader
Prof. Dr. Christian Wild
Scientists
Dr. Ingo Burghardt
Dr. Sebastian Ferse
Dr. Malik Naumann
Dr. Georgios Tsounis
PhD students
Elisa Bayraktarov (Cemarin)
Vanessa Bednarz
Hannah Brocke
Corvin Eidens (Cemarin)
Christian Jessen
Friedrich Meyer
Gaëlle Quéré
Nikolas Vogel
Verena Witt
Alexander Wolf
MSc students
Pepe Bastian
Soureya Becker
Ines Stuhldreier
Julian Rau
Information about job offers at ZMT here...
FORCE (Hannah Brocke und Gaëlle Quéré)
Coral reef functioning in the Central Red Sea - the effect of relevant bottom-up and top-down factors (Christian Jessen)
The role of benthic algae in coral reef resilience (Alexander Wolf)
Gutiérrez JL, Jones CG, Byers JE, Arkema KK, Berkenbusch K, Committo JA, Duarte CM, Hacker SD, Hendriks IE, Hogarth PJ, Lambrinos JG, Palomo MG, Wild C (2012) Physical ecosystem engineers and the functioning of estuaries and coasts. Chapter 5 in Treatise of Estuaries and Coastal Ecosystems (Series eds., Wolanski E, McLusky D), Volume 7: Functioning of Estuaries and Coastal Ecosystems (eds., Heip CHR, Philippart CJM, Middelburg JJ), Elsevier.
Schöttner S, Wild C, Hoffmann F, Boetius A, Ramette A (2012) Spatial scales of bacterial diversity in cold-water coral reef ecosystems. PloS One 7(3): e32093
Witt V, Wild C, Anthony KRN, Diaz-Pulido G, Uthicke S (2011) Effects of ocean acidification on oxygen fluxes through, and bacterial community composition of biofilms from the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental Microbiology 13(11): 2976-2989
Schöttner SI, Pfitzner B, Grünke S, Rasheed M, Wild C, Ramette A (2011) Drivers of bacterial diversity dynamics in permeable carbonate and silicate coral reef sands from the Red Sea. Environmental Microbiology 13(7): 1815-1826
Witt V, Wild C, Uthicke S (2011) Effect of substrate type on bacterial community composition in biofilms from the Great Barrier Reef. FEMS Microbiology Letters 323: 188-195
Naumann MS, Orejas C, Wild C, Ferrier-Pagès C (2011) First evidence for zooplankton feeding sustaining key physiological processes in a scleractinian cold-water coral. Journal of Experimental Biology 214: 3570-3576
Wild C, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Naumann M, Colombo-Pallotta MF, Ateweberhan, M., Fitt WK, Iglesias-Prieto R, Palmer C, Bythell JC, Ortiz JC, Loya Y, van Woesik R (2011) Climate change impedes scleractinian corals as primary reef ecosystem engineers. Marine & Freshwater Research 62: 205-215