NorMoSTFun: Monitoring Strategies and Tools to address knowledge gaps on aquatic Fungal biodiversity in Norway

Aquatic fungi (AF) are a significant part the of biodiversity in freshwater and marine ecosystems. They are crucial components of aquatic ecosystems and have important ecosystem functions as decomposers of dead organic material, mutualistic symbionts, parasites and pathogens that control animal and plant populations. AF affect carbon and nutrient cycling and function as a source of nutrition for higher trophic levels. Despite their importance for aquatic biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services, and superior potential for bioassessment of aquatic environments, we currently lack national monitoring programs for AF. We have substantial knowledge gaps on taxonomic and functional biodiversity and distribution of AF, as well as their sensitivity for climate and land-use changes. This is especially critical for threatened ecosystems such as glaciers and estuaries that are under rapid change due to human-caused climate change and the presence of other anthropogenic stressors such as pollutants. With the use of modern DNA sequencing methods, archival samples from national monitoring programs and satellite pictures we can now address knowledge gaps in AF diversity and distribution, pave the way for AF to be included in large-scale national monitoring programs and predict the response of AF to climate and land-use changes using modelling. NorMoSTFun is contributing to these aims as part of the multinational MoSTFun (Monitoring Strategies and Tools to address knowledge gaps on aquatic Fungal Biodiversity) project that is funded by the Biodiversa+ program.

Aquatic fungi (AF) are a significant part the of biodiversity in freshwater and marine ecosystems. They are crucial components of aquatic ecosystems and have important ecosystem functions as decomposers, parasites and pathogens that control animal and plant populations and affect carbon and nutrient cycling. They also function as a source of nutrition for higher trophic levels. Despite their importance for aquatic biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services, and superior potential for bioassessment of aquatic environments, we currently lack national monitoring programs for AF. We have substantial knowledge gaps on taxonomic and functional biodiversity and distribution of AF, as well as their sensitivity for climate and land-use changes. This is especially critical for threatened ecosystems such as glaciers and estuaries that are under rapid change due to human-caused climate change and the presence of other anthropogenic stressors such as pollutants. With the use of modern -omics methods, archival samples from national monitoring programs and earth observation technologies we can now address knowledge gaps in AF diversity and distribution, pave the way for AF to be included in large-scale national monitoring programs and predict the response of AF to climate and land-use changes using modelling. NorMoSTFun is contributing to these aims as part of the multinational MoSTFun (Monitoring Strategies and Tools to address knowledge gaps on aquatic Fungal Biodiversity) project that is funded by the Biodiversa+ program.