Doctoral Projects
The doctoral projects will focus on empirical studies along estuarine gradients, that will be complemented with experimental studies in the field, in mesocosms and/or the laboratory and with modeling approaches for integrating ‘biota-mediated effects on carbon cycling’ into estuarine ecosystem models.
Overall, these doctoral projects aim to provide robust insights in ‘biota-mediated effects on carbon cycling’ in marshes, and estuarine channels as well as on carbon fluxes across marsh-water boundaries under current environmental conditions.
No. | Topic | Supervision Team |
A1 |
Rhizosphere processes in wetlands: Plant-mediated organic matter degradation in the rhizosphere (e.g. by root oxygen loss and root exudates) in marshes along estuarine gradients. Doctoral researcher: Monica Wilson (since January 2021) |
Jensen, Hoth |
A2 |
Metabolic pathways of microbes and organic matter degradation in estuarine marshes: Effects of community composition and key metabolic pathways of microbes on organic matter degradation in the rhizosphere along estuarine gradients. Doctoral researcher: Luise Grüterich (since November 2020) |
Streit, Grossart |
A3 |
Herbivory and greenhouse gas fluxes from marsh soils to the atmosphere: What is the effect of geese and sheep grazing on plant-mediated greenhouse gas fluxes from marsh soils to the atmosphere? Doctoral researcher: Fay Lexmond (since January 2021) |
Kutzbach, Dausmann |
A5 |
Modeling biotic interactions and their effects on carbon cycling in estuarine marshes: How can rhizosphere processes and herbivory become integrated in ecosystem models to assess carbon fluxes in estuarine marshes? Doctoral researcher: Youssef Saadaoui (since February 2021) |
Porada, Hense |
A6 |
Surplus C in plants as a driver of allocation and plant-soil interactions in estuarine alluvial forests: Effects of drought, hypoxia, salinity and the wood density type. Doctoral researcher: Diana Richter (since January 2023) |
Meier, Müller |
A7 |
Root exudation in estuarine marshes: from description to prediction Doctoral researcher: Katrin Möller (since December 2023) |
Jensen, N.N. |
A8 |
Carbon cycling in estuaries - Quantifying expression and catalytic activities of CO2 capture processes in the river Elbe Estuary Doctoral researcher: Albert Dumnitch (since October 2023) |
Streit, N.N. |
A9 |
Biota-mediated effects of carbon cycling in estuaries - Effects of the coupling between CH4 and nitrogen transformation processes on land-atmosphere fluxes Doctoral researcher: Juliane Lenz (since October 2023) |
Kutzbach, Dähnke |
A10 |
Effect of rising temperature and flooding frequency on surplus C release from alluvial forest trees Doctoral researcher: Maxi Bergmann (since October 2023) |
Meier, N.N. |
A11 |
Estimating effects of microbial functional diversity on marsh ecosystem carbon balance Associated Doctoral researcher: Michelle Schimmel |
Porada, N.N. |
B1 |
Ecological plasticity of aquatic primary producers: How is the ecological plasticity of aquatic primary producers changing along estuarine gradients and what are implications for estuarine C cycling? Doctoral researcher: Nele Martens (since November 2020) |
Schaum, Hense |
B2 |
Metabolic pathways of aggregate-associated microbes along estuarine gradients: Effects of community composition, key metabolic pathways and metabolic interactions of aggregate-associated microbes on organic matter degradation along estuarine gradients. Doctoral researcher: Sven Tobias-Hünefeldt (since January 2021) |
Grossart, Streit |
B3 |
Transfer of aggregate-derived Carbon from microbes to estuarine consumers: How does trophic transfer of aggregate-derived C from microbes to higher consumers change along estuarine gradients? Doctoral researcher: Johanna Biederbick (since January 2021) |
Möllmann, Koppelmann |
B4 |
Molecular stress responses in estuarine fish and effects on Carbon cycling: What are the consequences of molecular stress responses in fish for C cycling and how is differential gene expression along estuarine gradients related to biotic interactions? Doctoral researcher: Raphael Koll (since January 2021) |
Fabrizius, Möllmann |
B5 |
Ecosystem modeling to assess carbon fluxes in estuarine channels: Integrating aggregate processes and trophic interactions in ecosystem models to assess carbon fluxes in estuarine channels Doctoral researcher: Laurin Steidle (since January 2021) |
Hense, Porada |
B6 |
The effect of warming on phytoplankton-microzooplankton interactions in the Elbe Estuary and underlying physiological processes Doctoral researcher: Diana Puerto (since October 2023) |
Schaum, N.N. |
B7 |
Zooplankton – fish larvae interactions in the Elbe estuary under global change Doctoral researcher: Sahed Palash (since October 2023) |
Möllmann, N.N. |
B8 |
Biota-mediated effects of carbon cycling in estuaries - Impacts of warming on microzooplankton-mesozooplankton interactions in the River Elbe Estuarine Doctoral researcher: Max Lambrecht (since October 2023) |
Aberle-Malzahn, N.N. |
B9 |
Adaptation of estuary fish to rising temperatures, salinity and turbidity Doctoral researcher: Juliane Schulte (since October 2023) |
Fabrizius, N.N. |
B10 |
Climate change effects of fish diversity and metabolism in the Elbe Estuary Doctoral researcher: Megan Harvey (since October 2023) |
Dahlke, N.N. |
C1 |
Microphytobenthos of intertidal flats and Carbon fluxes in estuaries: What is the role of microphytobenthos of intertidal flats for mediating C fluxes from estuarine marshes to estuarine channels? Doctoral researcher: Alberta Putri (since November 2020) |
Schaum, Jensen |
C2 |
Soils and Carbon fluxes from estuarine marshes to channels: How do soil conditions affect C fluxes by seepage water from estuarine marshes to estuarine channels? Doctoral researcher: Friederike Neiske (since February 2021) |
Eschenbach, Jensen |
C3 |
Rhizosphere processes and Carbon fluxes from marshes to channels: How do rhizosphere processes affect C fluxes from estuarine marshes to estuarine channels? Doctoral researcher: Panunporn Tutiyasarn (since December 2020) |
Hartmann, Streit |
C4 |
Marsh consumers and their role for marsh-water Carbon fluxes: How do C and energy fluxes affect marsh consumer populations and communities, and how does animal movement and activity affect marsh-water C fluxes? Doctoral researcher: Sina Remmers (since February 2021) |
Dausmann, Jensen |
C5 |
Estuarine consumers and carbon fluxes: How do C fluxes across marsh-water boundaries affect aquatic consumer populations and communities and how are these populations and communities affecting C fluxes from estuarine channels to estuarine marshes? Doctoral researcher: Elena Hauten (since December 2020) |
Möllmann, Jensen |
C6 |
Importance of smelt (Osmerus eperlanus) for carbon cycling in the Elbe estuary Doctoral researcher: Linda Hemmetzberger (since October 2023) |
Möllmann, N.N. |
C7 |
Climate and vegetation effects on DOC-mobilization in estuarine marsh soils Doctoral researcher: Sharjeel Ashfaq (since December 2023) |
Eschenbach, N.N. |
C8 |
Influence of aquatic subsidies on nutrition ecology and activity of marsh consumers Doctoral researcher: Nico Reinhold (since October 2023) |
Dausmann, N.N. |
D1 |
Feeding ecology, growth and migration behavior of keystone fish species in the Elbe and Odra estuaries: What is the role of keystone fish species in estuarine food webs, how do they grow with available food and how do they migrate within estuarine ecosystems? Associated Doctoral researcher: Jesse Theilen |
Thiel, N.N. |
D2 |
Impact of global change on DIN generation and the associated microbial communities in the ElbeEstuary: To what extent does the changes in organic vs. inorganic nitrogen inputs affect the microbial community? Associated Doctoral researcher: Vanessa Russnak |
Dähnke, N.N. |
D3 |
Role of intertidal vegetated habitats for land‐ocean carbon fluxes: How does biodiversity and climate change effect the carbon-storage capacity of saltmarshes?” Associated Doctoral researcher: Ella Logemann Working in the cluster of excellene „Climate, Climatic Change, and Society“ (CLICCS) |
Jensen, Porada |
D4 |
Stability of Wadden Sea Blue Carbon Stocks: How are soil redox conditions and microbial communities affected by global warming? How do plant-communities mediate warming effects? Associated Doctoral researcher: Julian Mittmann-Götsch |
Jensen, N.N. |
D5 |
Arbuskuläre Mykorrhiza und Resilienz von Salzmarschen in Zeiten des Klimawandels Associated Doctoral researcher: Andrea-Carolin Menzel |
Jensen, N.N. |
D6 |
Non-CO2 Greenhouse-gas emissions from Baltic and Wadden Sea marshes: effects of management and climate change. Associated Doctoral researcher: Clarisse Gösele |
Jensen, Müller |
D7 |
Metabolic response to temperature and hypoxia of a key estuarine fish - the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) Associated Doctoral researcher: Tyrone Estcourt |
Dahlke, N.N. |
D8 |
Greenhouse gas fluxes in salt marshes in times of climate change Associated Doctoral researcher: Nadine Hauschild |
Jensen, N.N. |