Details
- Mission objective
- Objective 1a - Protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity
- Lighthouse
- Baltic basin
- Sector
- Marine living resources
- Topic(s)
- Species and habitatFisheriesEcosystem approach
- Type of action
- Research and Innovation
- Type of knowledge output
- Report (research paper, policy report, white paper, guidelines, case studies, best practices, etc)
- Solution owner
- University of Tartu
- Country
- Estonia
Description
This study explores how ecosystems are shaped by both resource availability (bottom-up) and predator influence (top-down). To understand the role of predators, the researchers use biological invasions as a natural experiment. They focus on the impact of the round goby, an invasive species, on bivalve populations in coastal ecosystems. The results reveal a shift from bottom-up to top-down control in the food web, with the invasive predator causing significant declines in dominant invertebrates, especially in less productive areas. Some communities recover but rarely return to their original state, raising questions about the ecosystem's resilience. This study highlights how invasive species can reshape ecosystems over time.
