Salts are a natural component of freshwater ecosystems (e.g. carbonates contained in rocks are dissolved by rain and washed into rivers and streams). However, through a wide variety of activities (e.g. agriculture, mining, road salting), humans have greatly increased the salt concentrations in freshwaters and altered ion balance (i.e. freshwater salinization). This directly affects aquatic life, because organisms need to maintain an internal osmotic balance to survive. GLOBSALT will compile a comprehensive database that will be used to assess the global extent of FS and its potential effects on biodiversity.
Funding: i-LINK (CSIC), project reference – ILINK22058
Non-IDAEA researchers:
Ben Kefford (University of Canberra), Michel Meybeck (Sorbonne Université), Shelley Arnott (Queens University), Sujay Kaushal (University of Maryland), Josefin Thorslund (Swedish National Research Council), Ralf Schäfer and Elisabeth Berger (University of Klobenz-Landau).
