Dr. Marc Silberberger

Dr. Marc Silberberger

Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology
msilberberger@mir.gdynia.pl
tel: +48 587 356 175, room: 918 B

Scientific interests

I am a marine ecologist studying the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems in coastal and shelf seas. My research focuses on how seabed communities and their food webs respond to environmental variability and contribute to overall marine ecosystem functioning.

My research interests include:

  • Structure and dynamics of benthic food webs and energy flow in marine ecosystems
  • Spatial patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across the European continental shelf
  • Pelagic larvae of benthic invertebrates
  • Influence of environmental gradients (e.g., depth, substrate, organic matter input) on benthic community composition
  • Ecosystem responses to environmental change, including climate and human pressures

Projects

2025Title: DotCel25, zadania nr 9 „Ocena źródeł i jakości pokarmu dla ryb (z uwzględnieniem stadiów młodocianych) w wodach przybrzeżnych z zastosowaniem markerów troficznych (kwasy tłuszczowe i stabilne izotopy aminokwasów)”
Roles: Manager of sub-task 9.2 (compound-specific stable isotopes of Amino Acids) & Deputy manager of sub-task 9.1 (Fatty acids)
2024Title: Inter-annual variability in the spatial structure of the mesozooplankton community in the Central Baltic Sea with a special focus on meroplankton
Funding: statutory project at NMFRI financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
Role: Manager
2023 – 2026Title: Marine Fish Larvae Dynamics (MarFiLD) ‘Early life of marine fishes: Can pelagic larvae of benthic invertebrates buffer climate driven match–mismatch dynamics?’.
Funding: Wintershall DEA AS
Project number: 701016
Role: Co-Investigator
2020 – 2023Title: Arctic SGD – Submarine Groundwater Discharge in a Changing Arctic Region: Scale and Biogeochemical
impact
Funding: the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014–2021
Project number. 2019/34/H/ST10/00645
Role: Collaborator
2020 – 2024Title: Climate change impacts on structure and functioning of benthic communities at the fjord-shelf boundary hotspots (CLIMB)
Funding: National Science Centre (NCN)
Project number: 2019/35/D/NZ8/01282
Role: Principal Investigator
2019 – 2024 Title: Coastal Ecosystem functioning under different anthropogenic pressure - linking Benthic communities And biogeochemical Cycling in the southern Baltic Sea (COmEBACk)
Funding: National Science Centre (NCN)
Project number: 2017/26/E/NZ8/00496
Role: Co-investigator (post-doc), replacement of PI for 1 year because of twin pregnancy and maternity leave
2012 – 2018Title: LoVe MarinEco – Marine Ecosystem Research in the Lofoten-Vesterålen region
Funding: Statoil
Contract number: 450261853
Role: Co-investigator (PhD Student)

Membership in International Scientific and Expert Groups

  • Member of the ICES/HELCOM Working Group on Integrated Assessments of the Baltic Sea (WGIAB)
  • Member of the HELCOM Expert Group on Foodwebs (EG Foodweb)
  • Member of the Baltic Earth Science Steering Group (BESSG)

Selected invited presentations

  • Silberberger MJ (2025) Exploring the intricate role of benthic invertebrates for marine ecosystem functioning. Oral presentation as part of the Baltic Earth Scientific Colloquium Series, 7 April 2025, online.
  • Silberberger MJ (2024) Marine ecology of the Baltic Sea – a young ecosystem with extreme environmental gradients. Lecture at the 5th International Baltic Earth Winter School for Young Scientists on Earth System Science for the Baltic Sea Region, 18-22 March 2024, Sopot, Poland.
  • Silberberger MJ (2022) Increasing importance of meroplankton to the functioning of high latitude marine ecosystems – future climate change scenario. Oral presentation at 5th Polish Scientific Networks conference – Climate Change: Science & Society, 28 September to 30 September 2022, Wroclaw, Poland.
  • Silberberger MJ (2022) Benthic-pelagic coupling through benthic life cycles. Workshop on Cryo-pelagic-benthic coupling in the Arctic Ocean, 03.-08. May 2022, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.
  • Silberberger MJ (2015) Benthic communities in the Lofoten-Vesterålen region. Oral presentation at MAREANO-konferansen 2015, 29. October 2015, Oslo, Norway

Additional Academic Activities

  • Co-supervision of PhD students: 2 completed, 1 ongoing
  • Fieldwork experience: Participated in ~15 research cruises, as well as numerous small-boat and shore-based sampling campaigns
  • Peer review: Frequent reviewer for scientific journals, averaging 7–10 reviews per year

Publications

Publications in peer-reviewed journals:

  • Szymczycha B, Diak M, Hong W-L, Böttcher ME, Lepland A, Makuch P, ten Hietbrink S, Saghravani SR, Sen A, Winogradow A, Silberberger MJ (2025) Submarine groundwater discharge and gas hydrate dissociation fuel organic matter formation in Arctic fjord sediments, Marine Chemistry 273:104570 doi: 10.1016/j.marchem.2025.104570
  • Silberberger MJ (2025) Climate change threatens shallow Arctic infaunal blue carbon stocks, Oceanologia 67:07208. doi: 10.5697/HOHD9156
  • Szczepanek M, Grabowska M, Silberberger MJ, Borawska Z, Kędra M (2024) Integrating natural and anthropogenic factors in assessment of benthic ecosystem disturbance: A biotic index approach from the southern Baltic Sea, Marine Pollution Bulletin 209: doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117087
  • Czub MJ, Silberberger MJ, Bełdowski J, Kotwicki L, Muller-Karulis B, Tomczak MT (2024) Effects of climate and anthropogenic pressures on Chemical Warfare Agents transfer in the Baltic Sea food web, Science of the Total Environment 951: 175455. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175455
  • Szczepanek M, Silberberger MJ, Kędra M (2024) Functional structure and diversity of marine benthos reflect food availability and quality, as evidenced by isotopic diversity, Limnology and Oceanography 69:757-771. doi:10.1002/lno.12506
  • Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Reiss H, Kędra M (2024) Trophic niches of macrobenthos: Latitudinal variation indicates climate change impact on ecosystem functioning, Global Change Biology 30:e17100. doi: 10.1111/gcb.17100
  • Diak M, Böttcher ME, Ehlert von Ahn CM, Hong W-L, Kędra M, Kotwicki L, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Kuliński K, Lepland A, Makuch P, Sen A, Winogradow A, Silberberger MJ, Szymczycha B (2023) Permafrost and Groundwater Interaction: Current State and Future Perspective, Frontiers in Earth Science 11:1254309. doi: 10.3389/feart.2023.1254309
  • Oleszczuk B, Silberberger MJ, Grzelak K, Winogradow A, Dybwad C, Peeken I, Wiedmann I, Kędra M (2023) Macrofauna and meiofauna food-web structure from Arctic fjords to deep Arctic Ocean during spring: A stable isotope approach, Ecological Indicators, 154:110487. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110487
  • Jorda Molina E, Renaud PE, Silberberger MJ, Sen A, Bluhm B, Carroll ML, Ambrose Jr. WG, Cottier F, Reiss H (2023) Seafloor warm water temperature anomalies impact benthic macrofauna communities of a high-Arctic cold-water fjord, Marine Environmental Research, 189:106046. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106046
  • Szczepanek M, Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Kędra M (2022) Utilization of riverine organic matter by macrobenthic communities in a temperate prodelta. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9:974539. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.974539
  • Borawska Z, Szymczycha B, Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Szczepanek M, Kędra M (2022) Benthic fluxes of dissolved silica are an important component of the marine Si cycle in the coastal zone. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 273:107880. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2022.107880
  • Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Borawska Z, Szczepanek M, Kędra M (2022) Disentangling the drivers of benthic oxygen and dissolved carbon fluxes in the coastal zone of the southern Baltic Sea. Estuaries and Coasts, 45:2450–2471. doi: 10.1007/s12237-022-01074-w
  • Sen A, Silberberger MJ, Faust JC, Cochrane S, Renaud PE, Reiss H (2022) Environmental monitoring data reveals geographic and depth-based differentiation of benthic fjord communities. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 268:107803. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2022.107803
  • Szczepanek M, Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Nobili E, Kędra M (2021) The response of coastal macrobenthic food-web structure to seasonal and regional variability in organic matter properties, Ecological Indicators, 132:108326. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108326
  • Silberberger MJ, Renaud PE, Eiane K, Reiss H (2021) Seasonal dynamics of mesozooplankton biomass over a sub-Arctic continental shelf. Ecology and Evolution, 11:8713-8729. doi: 10.1002/ece3.7681
  • Kędra M, Cooper LW, Silberberger MJ, Zhang M, Biasatti D, Grebmeier JM (2021) Organic carbon source variability in Arctic bivalves as deduced from the compound specific carbon isotopic composition of amino acids. Journal of Marine Systems, 219:103547. doi: 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2021.103547
  • Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Kuliński K, Kędra M (2021) Stable isotope mixing models are biased by the choice of sample preservation and pre-treatment: Implications for the study of aquatic food webs. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7:621978. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.621978
  • Jordà Molina È, Silberberger MJ, Kokarev V, Reiss H (2019) Environmental drivers of benthic community structure in a deep sub-Arctic fjord system. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 225:106239. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2019.05.021
  • Silberberger MJ, Renaud PE, Buhl-Mortensen L, Ellingsen IH, Reiss H (2019) Spatial patterns in sub‐Arctic benthos: multiscale analysis reveals structural differences between community components. Ecological Monographs 89:e01325. doi: 10.1002/ecm.1325
  • Silberberger MJ, Renaud PE, Krönke I, Reiss H (2018) Food web structure in four locations along the European shelf indicates spatial differences in ecosystem functioning. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5:119. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00119
  • Silberberger MJ, Thormar J, Fredriksen S (2016) Small scale removal of seagrass (Zostera marina): Effects on the infaunal community. Marine Biology Research, 12:993-1002. doi: 10.1080/17451000.2016.1225959
  • Silberberger MJ, Renaud PE, Espinasse B, Reiss H (2016) Spatial and temporal structure of the meroplankton community in a sub-Arctic shelf system. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 555:79-93. doi: 10.3354/meps11818

Theses:

  • Silberberger MJ (2017) Spatial scales of benthic ecosystems in the sub-Arctic Lofoten-Vesterålen region. PhD thesis, Nord University, Norway. ISBN: 978-82-93165-17-0
  • Silberberger MJ (2012) The influence of mechanical habitat disturbance on the infauna of Zostera marina meadows. Master thesis, University of Oslo, Norway

Data sets:

  • Szymczycha B, Diak M, Hong W-L, Böttcher ME, Lepland A, Makuch P, ten Hietbrink S, Saghravani SR, Sen A, Winogradow A, Silberberger MJ (2025). Submarine groundwater discharge and gas hydrate dissociation fuel organic matter formation in Arctic fjord sediments [Data set]. In Marine Chemistry (pp. doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2025.104570). Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17306104
  • Szymczycha B, Makuch P, Diak M, Winogradow A, Silberberger MJ (2024). Salinity, temperature and oxygen distribution at Bornholm (IDEAL), Gdansk (P1) and Gotland (BY15) Deeps from September 2020 to September 2023 [Data set]. Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.13150331
  • Kędra M, Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K (2024) Comeback Stable Isotopes of Macrozoobenthos – various preservation and pretreatment (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-237.
  • Kędra M, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Silberberger MJ, Szczepanek M, Borawska Z (2024) Comeback Benthic Dissolved Organic Carbon Fluxes (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-233.
  • Kędra M, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Silberberger MJ, Szczepanek M, Borawska Z (2024) Comeback Benthic Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Fluxes (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-204.
  • Kędra M, Borawska Z, Szymczycha B, Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Szczepanek M (2024) Comeback Benthic Dissolved Silica Fluxes (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-234.
  • Kędra M, Szczepanek M, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Silberberger MJ (2024) Comeback Stable Isotopes of Macrozoobenthos (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-236.
  • Kędra M, Silberberger MJ, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Szczepanek M, Borawska Z (2024) Comeback Benthic Oxygen Fluxes (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-232.
  • Kędra M, Koziorowska-Makuch K, Szczepanek M, Borawska Z, Winogradow A, Silberberger MJ (2024) Comeback Environmental Data (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-235.
  • Kędra M, Silberberger MJ, Szczepanek M, Borawska Z (2024) Comeback Macrozoobenthos (Version 1.0). IOPAN Geonetwork. doi: 10.48457/iopan-2024-203.
  • Silberberger MJ (2024) Infaunal mollusca in 4 fjords along a long latitudinal gradient (v1.0.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. doi:5281/zenodo.11261016
  • Silberberger MJ (2023) Organic carbon content (Corg), total nitrogen content (Ntot) and their stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) from two depth zones in Isfjord, Malangen, Saltfjord and Selbjørnfjord (Version 1.0). Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IOPAN). doi: 10.48457/IOPAN-4FD51776-DE4E-42AB-82E3-AAA9E1AE94E4
  • Silberberger MJ (2023) Chlorophyll a (chl a) and phaeophytin (phaeo) pigments concentration in Arctic fjords (Version 1.0). Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IOPAN). doi: 10.48457/IOPAN-92686C22-D253-430B-B6DB-D119AE97DC4E
  • Silberberger MJ (2023) Surface sediment granulometry from two depth zones in Isfjord, Malangen, Saltfjord and Selbjørnfjord (Version 1.0). Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IOPAN). doi: 10.48457/IOPAN-D68FA482-3905-4A4A-AC5B-46B3FF405440
  • Sen A, Reiss H, Silberberger MJ, Renaud PE, Cochrane S, Faust J (2022) Species lists for benthic communities of Norwegian fjords from environmental surveys (data used in Sen et al. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2022). GBIF. doi: 10.15468/nvcpqd
  • Silberberger MJ, Renaud PE, Eiane K, Reiss H (2021) Replication Data for: Seasonal dynamics of mesozooplankton biomass over a sub-Arctic continental shelf. DataverseNO, V1. doi: 10.18710/O7JT6E

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