E4

This study will investigate changes in functional, taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in relation to trophic changes through time and at different sites, using environmental DNA extracted from sediment cores spanning the last century. DNA will be extracted from sediment cores, amplified with specific assays and amplicons sequenced using high-throughput technology. By targeting highly variable markers, different species or genotypes of key plankton species can be tracked and their response to abiotic changes, as well as community turnovers, can be analyzed.