The project investigates the effects of climate change and parasitism on mussel populations in coastal ecosystems. In these marine habitats, mussels are important keystone species that fulfil many important ecological functions.

In light of global warming scenarios, researchers from the University of Aarhus have developed an experimental setup at the Marine Biological Station Rønbjerg in which rising temperatures in the environment of the mussels are simulated. In these experiments, the researchers investigate the direct effect of temperature increases on mussel populations and the influence of temperature-dependent increases in parasite transmission to the mussels.

The aim of the project is to create knowledge about the influence of global climate change on complex ecosystems and interactions of species, and to develop a predictive model of the combined effects of climate change and parasitism on mussel populations.

The researchers Christian Selbach, Anna B. Neuheimer and Kim Nørgaard Mouritsen from the University of Aarhus are working on the project.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 839635.