Monitoring Strategies and Tools to address knowledge gaps on aquatic Fungal biodiversity

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Grossart
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems ; Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management ; Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 532136602

Aquatic fungi (AF) govern critical ecosystem processes involved in supporting, provisioning, supporting, and regulation services. AF are responsible for nutrient cycling, breakdown of pollutants, and control of microalgal blooms. However, they are not included in any routine and large-scale biodiversity monitoring programs. MoSTFun is a pan-European initiative that brings together the complementary expertises of 8 European partners, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and GEOBON specialists to develop the monitoring of AF and their services in most European aquatic ecosystems, from freshwater to brackish and coastal, across a large latitudinal range. MoSTFun’s strategy is to capitalise on existing resources with a cost-efficient approach: freezers, archives, and data-repositories are untapped sources of samples and data (THEME3). With its partnerships and collaborations, MoSTFun has unprecedented access to data and samples from biodiversity monitoring programmes and long-term research initiatives. This will enable MoSTFun to fill knowledge-gaps on AF diversity throughout Europe (THEME2). First, we will optimise and apply the most advanced and cutting-edge -Omics technologies and sampling strategies (WP4) to produce standardised data on AF diversity and drivers from existing DNA archives and case studies in understudied areas like glaciers and coastal-estuarine environments (WP1,2). We will also mine public biodiversity and genetic databases to understand the potential of the resources already available to unravel AF diversity from different data sources (WP1). Combining and integrating newly generated and mined data with data obtained from available data-repositories (also including environmental variables), earth observation (EO, satellite) and GIS data, and knowledge gain from stakeholders, we will develop pipelines for data integration needed to model patterns of AF biodiversity and drivers across space and time, and ultimately feed into novel set of Essential Biodiversity Variables (WP3). This will reveal the usefulness and the potential for global understanding of biodiversity and key services provided by fungi in aquatic environments. We will further test our optimised methods (WP4) for use in monitoring of an emerging planetary health issue, i.e. the spread of antifungal resistance genes in the environment (WP4). With stakeholder engagement (all WPs) supported by a novel Knowledge-to-Action Hub (WP5), we will also assess and develop the most effective strategies and tools for AF biodiversity monitoring in waters across Europe (THEME1). The MoSTFun consortium includes interdisciplinary experts, fostering the exchange of complementary skills and expertise, contributing to the training and mobility of early career researchers. MoSTFun will thus create critical mass, as well as societal and policy impact for the inclusion of AF biodiversity in European routine monitoring programs and strategies, with long-lasting transnational benefits.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Estonia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
• Partner Organisation: Agencia Estatal de Investigación; Estonian Research Council (ETAG); Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca (MUR); The Research Council of Norway (RCN); Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF); The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS)
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Jennifer Anderson; Dr. Andreas Bruder; Dr. André Frainer; Dr. Laura Garzoli; Professor Dr. Veljo Kisand; Dr. Albert René; Teppo Rämä