FLAME: Gas fluxes from alkaline lakes and the underlying microbial processes

Inland waters are important components of the global carbon cycle and key contributors to continental greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the lack of comprehensive emission data from dryland saline aquatic systems distorts current emission estimates.

In a changing climate, the potential role of saline inland waters as climate mitigators or flux contributors remain elusive.

This calls for further research, especially as their global abundance is increasing due to worldwide salinization of freshwaters.

Metabolic activities of the resident microbial community are the key processes that control C-, N- and S-gas fluxes in these systems.

The contribution and importance of the microbiota to gas fluxes can only be deciphered with a multidisciplinary approach, coupling onsite flux measurements with the application of state-of the-art molecular biology techniques.

In this project we will study gas fluxes from inland saline waters of Eurasia by an extensive field survey and identify factors determining their role in climatic processes.

The fellow will use on-site flux measurements of C-, N- and S-gases combined with the characterization of biogeochemical attributes of the studied aquatic systems, and couple this with state of the art molecular tools to decipher the role of the resident microbiome for atmospheric gas emissions.

This research aims to enhance climate change models and long-term predictions, aligning with the objectives of Formas and the EU Mission Starfish 2030.