Portrait photo of Danny C P Lau

Danny C P Lau

Researcher, Division of Ecology and Biodiversity
Phone
+4618672462
Freshwater ecology, food webs, biodiversity, nutrient dynamics, climate change, multiple stressors, fatty acids, stable isotopes

Presentation

I am a researcher and docent at the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Division of Ecology and Biodiversity. My research is about food webs and biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, and their responses to climate change and anthropogenic stressors.

Research

My research is centred on understanding aquatic food webs and biodiversity, and how they respond to environmental alterations caused by global change. Currently I focus on northern freshwater ecosystems, as they provide essential services for humans and wildlife, but are increasingly threatened by human activities and particularly climate change. My research aims to address the complex challenges these ecosystems are facing.

I am interested in both the fundamental and the applied aspects of aquatic ecology. These aspects specifically include: (i) the development of ecological concepts related to aquatic food webs and animal nutrition; (ii) method development for tracking trophic support and energy/nutrient transfer using ecological tracers such as stable isotopes and fatty acid biomarkers; and (iii) bioassessment of cumulative impacts of anthropogenic stressors – e.g., land use, acidification, browning, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, climate change – on surface waters.

 

Recent research projects

Newly funded

Climate-induced changes in the biodiversity and function of Arctic/alpine streams and their landscapes (BIOFUN) – PI

Arctic freshwater food systems: Influence of warming winters and increased snow cover (FROST) – Co-investigator

 

Ongoing

Hydropower dam impacts on the multifunctionality of river-riparian meta-ecosystems - Towards a new decision support system (DAMFUN) – Co-investigator

Development of an indicator for assessing oligotrophication-induced cyanotoxin production and accumulation in food webs of Arctic/alpine lakes (TOXINDICATOR) – PI

Rapid climate change is driving shifts in the nutritional quality of aquatic food webs across the circumpolar North – Co-investigator

Ecological change in Arctic/alpine lakes – Food web effects of ongoing climate-change induced oligotrophication (ARCWEB) – PI

How do stoichiometry and nutritional quality of plankton communities in coastal ecosystems alter with climate change? – PI

Effects of browning of coastal waters on marine food web function and quality – Co-investigator

REFINE – Improved assessment of climate impact and eutrophication in arctic lakes – Co-investigator

Global change depletes pelagic food webs in northern lakes (Web4Food) – Co-investigator

Publications

Full list of publications in Google Scholar

Publications (2017-present)

Peer-reviewed articles

Datasets

Popular science articles

Links