My research aims at understanding and valuing the role of coastal benthic macrophyte communities in the functioning of coastal systems. Costal marine macrophytes, such as seagrasses and seaweeds, are key elements in the functioning of coastal communities. However, environmental pressures derived from human activities and climate change pose a serious threat to these organisms, their associated communities, and the ecosystem services they provide.

In order to understand the contribution of these organisms to the associated ecosystem, I study the ecophysiology of coastal macrophytes and their capacity to acclimate and adapt to environmental forcing considering both intra- and inter-specific variability. My research addresses the single and combined effects of anthropogenic pressures, such as eutrophication, and climate change drivers, such as ocean acidification, warming, and hypoxia, exploring their impact on metabolic balances and on the functioning of the associated communities.

My research integrates across organizational levels, from individuals up to ecosystems, starting at the level of organisms and using the metabolic balance as a functional trait indicator of organism’s wellbeing. The research approach integrates a multidisciplinary view combining a suite of techniques, ranging from physiology and molecular biology up to population ecology, applied to both mechanistic experiments, under laboratory-controlled conditions, and holistic in situ field studies to understand the functioning of natural communities. The upper framework of this scaling-up approach targets the eco-societal integration of the ecological information in order to improve the assessment and appreciation of the ecosystem services provided by coastal macrophyte communities.

 

For more about Irene, please visit:

​https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irene-Olive

https://scholar.google.co.il/citations?user=1lACYHQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Twitter: @I_Olive_S