Research interests

Invasive species in marine benthic systems

Abiotic and biotic factors controlling the structure and diversity of hardbottom communities

Plant-herbivore interactions in benthic systems

Biological effects of microplastics

Fouling and biological antifouling defences

 

CV

Since 2004 Scientific coordinator of the international research and student training programme GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experiments)

2003 - 2004 Post-doc researcher at GEOMAR (former IFM-GEOMAR). Evaluation of 15 years of soft-bottom benthos monitoring in the Western Baltic

1998 - 2003 PhD thesis, Zoological Institute Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Institute for Marine Research, DFG funded project ‘Influence of abiotic disturbances on the diversity of marine benthic communities’

1997 Diploma thesis, Zoological Institute Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, ‘Antifouling strategies in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis’

1991 - 1996  Studies in biology (zoology, biological oceanography, biochemistry) at Christian-Albrechts University Kiel

 

Blogs and websites:

www.geomar.de/go/game

www.facebook.com/GAME.GEOMAR

www.oceanblogs.org/game

www.oceanblogs.org/mikroplastik54n

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIrWrGsXb08

 

Publications:

Wang S, Weinberger F, Xiao L, Nakaoka M, Wang G, Krueger-Hadfield SA, Bian D, Lenz M (2017) In-situ-common-garden-assays demonstrate increased defense against natural fouling in non-native populations of the red seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla. Marine Biology 164 (10): Article 193

Huhn M, Zamani NP, Lenz M (2017) Tolerance to hypoxia in Asian green mussels, Perna virdis, collected from a ship hull in the non-native range in eastern Indonesia. Management of Biological Invasions 8 (2): 227-233

Wang S, Wang G, Weinberger F, Bian D, Nakaoka M, Lenz M (2017) Anti-epiphyte defenses in Gracilaria vermiculophylla: Non-native algae are better defended than their native conspecifics. Journal of Ecology 105 (2): 445-457 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12694

Ramalhosa P, Debus SL, Kaufmann M, Lenz M (2016) A non-native macroalga is less attractive for herbivores but more susceptible to light limitation and grazing stress than a comparable native species. Helgoland Marine Research 70: Article 25. DOI:10.1186/s10152-016-0478-3

Podbielski I, Bock C, Lenz M, Melzner F (2016) Using the critical salinity (S_crit) concept to predict invasion potential of the anemone Diadumene lineata in the Baltic Sea. Marine Biology 163: 227. DOI 10.1007/s00227-016-2989-5

Rickert E, Lenz M, Barboza FR, Gorb SN, Wahl M (2016) Seasonally fluctuating chemical microfouling control in Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus from the Baltic Sea. Marine Biology 163: 203 DOI 10.1007/s00227-016-2970-3

Rist SE, Assidqi K, Zamani NP, Appel D, Perschke M, Huhn M, Lenz M (2016) Suspended micro-sized PVC particles impair the performance and decrease survival in the Asian green mussel Perna viridis. Marine Pollution Bulletin 111: 213-220 dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.07.006

Al-Janabi B, Kruse I, Graiff A, Winde V, Lenz M, Wahl M (2016) Buffering and amplifying interactions among OAW (Ocean Acidification & Warming) and nutrient enrichment on early life-stage Fucus vesiculosus L. (Phaeophyceae) and their carry over effects to hypoxia impact. Plos One 11(4): e0152948. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0152948

Huhn M, Hattich GSI, Zamani NP, von Juterzenka, K, Lenz M (2016) Tolerance to stress differs between Asian green mussels Perna viridis from the impacted Jakarta Bay and from natural habitats along the coast of West Java. Marine Pollution Bulletin 110(2): 757-766 dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.020

Huhn M, Zamani NP, von Juterzenka K, Lenz M (2016) Food availiability in an anthropogenically impacted habitat determines tolerance to hypoxia in the Asian green mussel Perna viridis. Marine Biology 163: 15 DOI 10.1007/s00227-015-2786-6

Huhn M, Zamani NP, Lenz M (2016) A ferry line facilitates dispersal: Asian green mussels Perna viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) detected in eastern Indonesia. BioInvasion Records 4(1): 23-29

Brennecke D, Ferreira EC, Costa TMM, Appel D, da GAMA BAP, Lenz M (2015) Ingested microplastics (> 100µm) are translocated to organs of the tropical fiddler crab Uca rapax. Marine Pollution Bulletin 96: 491-495

Lenz M 2014. Assessing macrofouling – experiments on a global scale. In: “Biofouling Methods”. Dobretsov S, Williams DN, Thomason JC (eds.), John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Chichester, UK, pp. 281-289

Wahl M, Al Sofyani A, Saha M, Kruse I, Lenz M, Sawall Y (2014). Large scale patterns of antimicrofouling defenses in the hard coral Pocillopora verrucosa in an environmental gradient along the Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea. PlosOne 9(12): e106573. doi:10.1371.

Wahl M, Hinrichsen HH, Lehmann A, Lenz M (2013) Natural variability in hard bottom communities and possible drivers assessed by a time-series study in the SW Baltic Sea: know the noise to detect the change. Biogeosciences Discuss 10: 5227-5242

Wendling CC, Huhn M, Ayu N, Bachtiar R, Juterzenka K, Lenz M (2013) Habitat degradation correlates with tolerance to climate-change related stressors in the green mussel Perna viridis from West Java, Indonesia. Mar Pollut Bull 71: 222-229

Nasrolahi A, Pansch C, Lenz M, Wahl M (2013) Temperature and salinity interactively impact early juvenile development: a bottleneck in barnacle ontogeny. Mar Biol 160: 1109-1117

Nasrolahi A, Pansch C, Lenz M, Wahl M (2012) Being young in a changing world: how temperature and salinity changes interactively modify the performance of larval stages of the barnacle Amphibalanus improvisus. Mar Biol 159:331-340

Lenz M, da Gama BAP, Gerner NV, Gobin J, Gröner F, Anil H, Jenkins SR, Kraufvelin P, Mummelthei C, Sareyka J, Xavier EA, Wahl M (2011) Non-native marine invertebrates are more tolerant towards environmental stress than taxonomically related native species: Results from a globally replicated study. Environ Res 111: 943-952  

Wahl M, Link H, Alexandridis N, Thomason JC, Cifuentes M, Costello MJ, da Gama BAP, Hillock K, Hobday AJ, Kaufmann MJ, Keller S, Kraufvelin P, Krüger I, Lauterbach L, Antunes BL, Molis M, Nakaoka M, Nyström J, Radzi Z, Stockhausen B, Thiel M, Vance T, Weseloh A, Whittle M, Wiesmann L, Wunderer L, Yamakita T, Lenz M (2011) Re-structuring of marine communities exposed environmental change: A global study on the interactive effects of species and functional richness. PlosOne 6: 1-9

Wahl M, Jormalainen V, Eriksson BK, Coyer JA, Molis M, Schubert H, Dethier M, Ehlers A, Karez R, Kruse I, Lenz M, Pearson G, Rohde S, Wikström SA, Olsen J (2011) Stress Ecology in Fucus: Abiotic, biotic and genetic interactions. Adv Mar Biol 59: 37-105

Kubicek A, Bessho K, Nakaoka M, Wahl M, Lenz M (2011) Inducible defence and its modulation by environmental stress in the red alga Chondrus yendoi (Yamada and Mikami in Mikami, 1965) from Honshu Island, Japan. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 397: 208-213

Gröner F, Lenz M, Wahl M, Jenkins SR (2011) Stress resistance in two colonial ascidians from the Irish Sea: the recent invader Didemnum vexillum is more tolerant to low salinity than the cosmopolitan Diplosoma listerianum. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 409: 48-5

Sareyka J, Kraufvelin P, Lenz M, Lindström M, Tollrian R, Wahl M (2011) Differences in stress tolerance and brood size between a non-indigenous and an indigenous gammarid in the northern Baltic Sea. Mar Biol 158: 2001-2008

Appelhans YS, Lenz M, Medeiros HE, da Gama BAP, Pereira RC, Wahl M (2010) Stressed, but not defenceless: no obvious influence of irradiation levels on antifeeding and antifouling defences of tropical macroalgae. Mar Biol 157: 1151-1159

Cifuentes M, Krüger I, Dumont CP, Lenz M, Wahl M, Thiel M (2010) Does primary colonization or community structure determine the succession of fouling communities? J Exp Mar Ecol Biol 395: 10-20

Pansch C, Cerda O, Lenz M, Wahl M, Thiel M (2009) Consequences of light-reduction for anti-herbivore and anti-fouling defense in four seaweed species from northern-central Chile. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 381: 83-97

Vance T, Lauterbach L, Lenz M, Wahl M, Sanderson RA, Thomason JC (2008) Rapid invasion and ecological interactions of Diplosoma listerianum in the North Sea, U.K. JMBA2 – Biodiversity Records. Published on-line.

Wollgast S, Lenz M, Wahl M, Molis M (2008) Effects of regular and irregular temporal patterns of disturbance on biomass accrual and species composition of a subtidal hard-bottom assemblage. Helgol Mar Res 62: 309-319

Sugden H, Lenz M, Molis M, Wahl M, Thomason JC (2008) The interaction between nutrient availability and disturbance frequency on the diversity of benthic marine communities on the north-east coast of England. J Anim Ecol 77: 24-31

Canning-Clode J, Kaufmann M, Molis M, Wahl M, Lenz M (2008) Influence of disturbance and nutrient enrichment on early successional fouling communities in an oligotrophic marine system. Mar Ecol 29: 115-124

Svensson JR, Lindegarth M, Siccha M, Lenz M, Molis M, Wahl M, Pavia H (2007) Maximum species richness at intermediate frequencies of disturbance: consistency among levels of productivity. Ecology 88: 830-838

Sugden H, Panusch R, Lenz M, Wahl M, Thomason JC (2007) Temporal variability of disturbances: is this important for diversity and structure of marine fouling assemblages? Mar Ecol 28: 1-9

Cifuentes M, Kamlah C, Thiel M, Lenz M, Wahl M (2007) Effects of temporal variability of disturbance on the succession in marine fouling communities from northern-central Chile. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 352: 280-294

Atalah J, Otto S, Anderson MJ, Costello MJ, Lenz M, Wahl M (2007) Temporal variability of disturbance did not affect and structure of a marine fouling community in north-eastern New Zealand. Mar Biol 153: 199-211

Lenz M, Molis M, Wahl M (2004) Experimental test of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis: frequency effects of emersion on fouling communities. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 305: 247-266

Lenz M, Molis M, Wahl M (2004) Testing the intermediate disturbance hypothesis: response of fouling communities to various levels of emersion intensity. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 278: 53-65

Molis M, Lenz M, Wahl M (2003) Radiation effects along a UV-B gradient on species composition and diversity of a shallow-water macrobenthic community in the Western Baltic. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 263: 113-125

Wahl M, Kröger K, Lenz M (1998) Non-toxic protection against epibiosis. Biofouling 12: 205-226

 

Teaching activities

I am teaching courses in experimental design, univariate and multivariate data analysis as well as the use of the free statistical computing software R in the frame of the MSc 'Biological Oceanography' at GEOMAR, for the Integrated School of Ocean Sciences (ISOS)/Cluster of Excellence 'The Future Ocean' and in the GAME programme.

I taught courses at the Universidade da Madeira (Portugal), University of Namibia, Universidad Católica del Norte (Chile) and the University Centre of the West Fjords (Iceland).

 

Master- and Bachelortheses supervised (2012-2017)

Schröder, Kevin (2017) Studie zur Abundanz von Mikroplastik im Größenbereich von 0,2 – 5 mm in Spülsaumsedimenten der Kieler Förde. CAU Kiel, 108 Seiten (Bachelorarbeit

Berkmann, Nadine (2017) Mikroplastik in Süßwassersystemen und potentielle Gegenmaßnahmen. CAU Kiel, 168 Seiten

Hohnheiser, Anna (2017) Interactive effects of microplastic particles and heat stress on the benthic filter feeder Mytilus chilensis (Hupé, 1854). Universität Rostock, 85 Seiten

Müller, Nadine (2017) Interactive effects of microplastic and heat stress on the benthic filter feeder Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793). Universität Rostock, 70 Seiten

Paulweber, Kyra (2017) Interaktive Effekte von Hitzestress und Mikroplastik auf die Miesmuschel (Mytilus edulis). CAU Kiel, 138 Seiten

Schäfer, Susanne (2016) Effects of elevated water temperatures on the invasive sea anemone Aiptasia diaphana from Madeira Island. CAU Kiel, 41 Seiten.

Liebetrau, Ina (2016) Experimentelle Untersuchungen zu den Auswirkungen von Mikroplastikpartikeln auf die benthischen Invertebraten Mytilus edulis und Arenicola marina. Universität Jena, 111 Seiten.

Sugai, Hiromi (2016) Effects of microplastics on the lugworm Abarenicola pacifica. Hokkaido University, 45 Seiten.

Marx, Denise (2016) Der Effekt von Mikroplastik auf die Physiologie der Miesmuschel Perumytilus purpuratus – Ein Kurzzeitexperiment in Chile. Universität Dresden, 97 Seiten

Hamm, Thea (2016) The tolerance of an intertidal sea anemone from Indonesia to heat stress. CAU Kiel, 53 Seiten

Hansen, Miriam (2016) Heat stress effects on sea anemone species from Northern Central Chile in the context of a heat wave simulation. CAU Kiel, 23 Seiten

Penna Diaz, Miguel Angel (2016). Invasive potential of species associated to aquaculture installations. Stress survival in simulated journey conditions. Universidad Católica del Norte, 96 Seiten. 

Dewert, Anna (2016) Heat stress responses of sea anemones (Brazil) due to climate change. Technische Universität München, 62 Seiten

Schuller, Carola (2016) Effects of heat stress on the performance of two different populations of Diadumene lineata in Japan. Technische Universität München, 35 Seiten 

Paulweber, Kyra (2014) Mikroplastik und seine Folgen für marine Organismen. CAU Kiel Oktober 2014, 70 Seiten (Bachelorarbeit)

Martin, Jonas (2014) Short-time exposure to microplastic beads does not affect growth, motility and stress tolerance of the spiny brittle star Ophiocoma echinata (Ophicomidae). Universität Marburg, 60 Seiten.

Machura, Susanne (2014) Consequences of selective mortality for environmental stress tolerance in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Kiel Fjord. CAU Kiel, 69 Seiten

Podbielski, Imke (2014) Acclimation potential of the invasive sea anemone Haliplanella lineata (Verrill 1898) to changing salinities. CAU Kiel, 74 Seiten

Rüttler, Vanessa (2014) Does ingestion of microplastic beads affect benthic invertebrates? - An ecological relevant short-time feeding experiment with Ochetostoma baronii and Urechis chilensis, two species of sediment inhabiting echiurid worms. Universität Tübingen, 67 Seiten

Brennecke, Dennis (2014) Effects of microplastics on the tropical fiddler crab Uca rapax. CAU Kiel, 69 Seiten

Grossmann, Jenni Lisa (2014) Evaluating the potential of microplastics ingeston to harm the sea cucumber Holothuria sanctori. Universität Hamburg, 100 Seiten

Kapfer, Patricia (2014) Adaptability of the brown macroalga Fucus serratus to varying light conditions in the Western Baltic Sea. Universität Mainz, 117 Seiten

Franz, Markus (2014) Einflüsse von Mikroplastik auf die Stresstoleranz des pazifischen Wattwurms Abarenicola pacifica. CAU Kiel, 74 Seiten

Oetter, Katharina Juliane (2014) An experiment of the effect of polystyrene pellets on the performance of Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758). Universität Hamburg, 72 Seiten

Teegen, Malin (2014) Influence of microplastic particles on the physiological performance of the marine deposit feeder Uca rapax. Universität Bremen, 53 Seiten

Hattich, Giannina (2013) Toleranz anthropogen unterschiedlich stark beeinflusster Populationen  von Perna viridis gegenüber Hyposalinität unter verschiedenen Nahrungsverfügbarkeiten. CAU Kiel, 40 Seiten (Bachelorarbeit)

Oberschelp, Lisa (2013) Erhöht Temperaturstress während einer simulierten transozeanischen Überfahrt die Stresstoleranz von zwei marinen Invertebraten? Universität Tübingen, 80 Seiten

Fabritzek, Armin Georg (2013) Selektion von hitzestresstoleranten Individuen bei der Weißbeingarnele Pennaeus vannamei (Peneidae). Universität Mainz, 87 Seiten

Garcia, Marie (2013) Bewirkt die Simulation von Schiffstransport eine Selektion stresstoleranter Individuen in potentiell invasiven Gründerpopulationen mariner Invertebraten? Universität Freiburg, 81 Seiten  

Grogoll, Ulrike (2013) Vorkommen von Mikroplastikpartikeln und deren Einfluss auf benthische Invertebraten im Finnischen Archipel. Universität Rostock, 73 Seiten

Piehl, Sarah (2013) Ingestion of artificial particles in tropical benthic invertebrates and implications for environmental fitness. Universität Rostock, 64 Seiten

Eichhorn, Sandra (2012) Sensitivität mariner Makroinvertebraten gegenüber wiederholt auftretenden abiotischen Stressereigenissen. Universität Rostock, 95 Seiten

Weigel, Benjamin (2012) Anpassungsfähigkeit von Makroalgen an suboptimale Lichtbedingungen - Eine Studie zu Fucus vesiculosus. CAU Kiel, 80 Seiten

Winkler, Simon (2012) Zur Anpassungsfähigkeit von Makroalgen an verschiedene Lichtbedingungen am Beispiel von Gelidium amansii (Rhodophyta) in Hong Kong. CAU Kiel, 83 Seiten

Daniel Wohlgemuth (2012) Erhöht stressbedingte Mortalität die populationsspezifische Toleranz mariner Invertebraten gegenüber Umweltstress? Universität Rostock, 64 Seiten