“Brown algal biodiversity and ecology in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea” is a 4-year project funded by the Paris-based TOTAL Foundation (www.foundation.total.com), which aims to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the region’s seaweed biodiversity as well as effects of climate change, pollution and invasive species on the Mediterranean marine vegetation. The project is a truly multinational effort – even though the effort is centered in Greece, it has major contributions by scientists from Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, California, France, Germany, Japan and Scotland. Key objectives include pioneering studies of the Eastern Mediterranean’s deep-water flora, hitherto largely unexplored.

The fundamental objective of this project is to establish a detailed inventory of the diversity of the brown seaweed flora of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Particular emphasis will be given to the genus Cystoseira, in order to elucidate existing gaps and confusions. The proposed project is an integrated array of several approaches of phycological and marine research - from taxonomy and molecular biology to ecology, invasive species and seaweed pathogens.

To that aim, several phycological expeditions are proposed at specific target areas of the Aegean, Levantine and Adriatic Sea. Special attention will be given to remote and unexplored sites, hot-spot areas of alien species as well as to ecosystems stressed by human activities (pollution – bioindicators). In addition, the poorly known deep sea habitats of brown algae, such as those of the genus Laminaria, will be investigated using a state-of-the-art research submersible and ROVs (remotely operated vehicles). Among the material collected, targeted key species will be selected for further lab study and taxonomic revision by cell biology, molecular and culturing techniques. Special attention will be given also to the largely unknown diversity of seaweed-associated pathogens.

For a more detailed description of the project objectives, press HERE