Over the last decades, Fucus vesiculosus, an ecologically important macroalga in the German Baltic Sea, has shown a massive retreat from the deeper zones of its former distribution presumably due to low light co-acting with other potential stressors such as high temperature, fouling, and grazing. In shallow water F. vesiculosus may be exposed to high water temperatures during summer seasons. Intensity and frequency of heat waves are expected to increase due to climate change which could potentially affect all fucoid life stages. Early life stage processes (fertilization, germination) are often considered particularly sensitive to stress. If the mortality caused by a first heat wave in a genetically diverse population selects for stress resistance, we would expect the survivors to be less sensitive to a second heat wave or possibly even to other stressors like feeding pressure.
In the present study, the mortality of early post-settlement stages of F. vesiculosus under thermal stress and the sensitivity of survived recruits against a proximate stressor (feeding pressure, second heat wave) were analysed by laboratory experiments. The mortality of early fucoid life stages at 25°C, compared to their mortality at 15°C was significantly higher. Regrettably, the ensuing assessment of feeding impact by Idotea baltica and Hydrobia ulvae on the surviving germlings could not be analysed since the two consumer species unexpectedly avoided feeding on the young stages of F. vesiculosus. During the second thermal stress experiment fucoid offspring which was genetically preselected by high temperature (first heat wave: 25°C) differed not significantly in sensitivity from fucoid offspring without prior stress.
A reestablishment of Fucus vesiculosus where it is locally vanished would be an indicator for improved water quality. Thus the Agency for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Areas of Schleswig - Holstein (LLUR) is thinking about opportunities to resettle F. vesiculosus. On behalf of RADOST project, the tolerance of early fucoid life stages towards thermal stress was analysed and after four days of thermal treatment a high percentage of the treated fucoid offspring survived. It might be that inside species genotypes exist which are less sensitive against future environmental changes.
Consequences resulting from future Climate Change may be one of the most severe threats for people and economies in many countries of the world. Besides the problem of sea level rise, also possible general changes in the frequency and intensity of storms as well as general changes in the average wind field are expected for the future. With respect to the coastal protection possible future strategies and also possible future measures are analyzed and assessed with the result that technical, morphological, socio-economic and aesthetical aspects play a role.
Zielstellung des RADOST-Fokusthemas „Erneuerbare Energien“ ist es, die Auswirkungen veränderter Umweltbedingungen auf die Möglichkeiten der Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien zu prognostizieren und ggf. erforderlich werdende strategische Anpassungsempfehlungen zu erarbeiten. Grundlage für die Untersuchung der möglichen Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die zukünftige Nutzung von erneuerbaren Energien ist eine ausführliche Erfassung der zu betrachtenden Parameter, die den vorhandenen Bereichen oberflächennahe Geothermie, Photovoltaik, Windkraft und Biogas zugeordnet und hinsichtlich ihrer tatsächlichen Relevanz untersucht werden.
Innerhalb des RADOST-Anwendungsprojektes „Qualitätskomponenten zur Wasserrahmenrichtlinie – Bestandsunterstützung Seegras und Blasentang“ wurden von Coastal Research and Management (CRM) im Unterauftrag des Landesamtes für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und ländliche Räume des Landes Schleswig-Holstein Untersuchungen zum Bestandsschutz und zum Wiederansiedlungspotential des Blasentangs durchgeführt. Aufbauend auf Vorarbeiten von CRM wurden die Möglichkeiten des gezielten Verpflanzens und damit die Wiederbesiedlung eines potentiellen Lebensraumes des heimischen Blasentangs auf wissenschaftlicher Basis untersucht.