Rebecca Büring

My research focuses is on understanding the increasing importance of meroplankton in the Dutch North Sea and its implications for pelagic food webs. Meroplankton abundance has risen substantially in recent decades due to warming seas, community shifts, offshore wind farm development, and oyster reef restoration. Yet, the ecological consequences of these changes remain largely unexplored. This project investigates the spatial and temporal distribution of key meroplankton groups, quantifies their phytoplankton grazing rates, evaluates their efficiency in transferring organic matter, and assesses their contribution to the diets of higher pelagic predators, thereby clarifying their trophic role in a changing marine ecosystem.