Publications
Following publication has been announced by our department Sediment Transport and Morphodynamics. For further information please contact Dr. Wenyan Zhang, author of the publication:
Zhang, W., Chen, X., Sun, J., Meng, Q., Nie, J., & Daewel, U. (2024): Editorial: Multi-scale variability of ecosystem functioning in European and Chinese shelf seas. Front. Mar. Sci., 11:1463685, doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1463685
Excerpt from the editorial:
Coastal and shelf seas constitute the most dynamic part of the Earth surface where intense interactions between geosphere, ecosphere and anthroposphere take place. They process and accumulate continent-derived material (sediments, nutrients, contaminants, etc.), serve as cradles for life and contain the highest biodiversity in the Earth system. Coastal ecosystems are among the world’s most productive ecosystems that provide important functioning to sustain natural resources and carbon cycle (von Storch et al., 2021). On the other hand, these transitional ecosystems are highly vulnerable to multiple stressors including climate change, nutrient loading, pollution and fishing. Systematic changes in ecosystem functioning have been observed in coastal areas that are heavily affected by proliferation of industries, agriculture, and aquaculture (Halpern et al., 2019). Biogeochemical responses of the systems to external drivers are often nonlinear, involving feedback that may amplify or dampen a perturbation imposed to the system (Martiny et al., 2022). A profound understanding of the sensitivity of coastal ecosystem functioning to physical and biogeochemical perturbations necessitates a comparative assessment between different coastal shelf seas.
This topical collection serves as a platform for more efficient knowledge share and distribution through a comparative assessment between distinct coastal shelf systems in China and Europe to further our understanding of complicated ecosystem dynamics in response to a changing climate and increasing anthropogenic pressure. The studies aim to derive a deepened understanding of the sensitivity of coastal shelf ecosystem functioning to physical and biogeochemical perturbations, the role of shelf seas in global carbon cycling, and the resilience of Chinese and European shelf seas to ongoing and future changes in climate and anthropogenic activities. Fifteen research articles have been collected on this Research Topic.
