Irina Lung
PhD Student
Research interests:
- Deep-seabed mining impacts
- Deep-sea benthic resilience
- Meiofaunal ecology and connectivity
Contact Info
Email: irina.lung@ugent.be
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-lung-627b43357
Education
BSc, Environmental biology, Babeș-Bolyai University (2024)
MSc, Marine and lacustrine science and management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2026)
Research Question
How does the natural variability and connectivity of deep-sea benthic ecosystems shape their resilience and recovery potential from the disturbance of polymetallic nodule mining?
Currently pursuing a PhD at Ghent University, as part of the JPI Oceans MiningImpact 3 project, focusing on baseline infaunal biodiversity and the impacts of deep-seabed mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. By integrating meiofaunal biodiversity, genetic connectivity, and functional trait-network analysis of infauna, I aim to understand how natural environmental gradients shape these communities and their capacity to withstand and recover from the impacts of polymetallic nodule mining.
Supervisor
Prof. Dr. Ellen Pape, Prof. Dr. Jan Vanaverbeke
Research theme(s)