Functional response of Antarctic benthic fauna to climate change

Project Rationale:
This project will involve the incubation of Antarctic benthic species typical of the Antarctic Peninsula and with circum-Antarctic distributions. Solan and Godbold have extensive experience of experimental manipulations of benthic invertebrate communities, including ongoing commitments in Polar regions. The candidate will use the Biodiversity and Ecosystems Futures Facility (Solan) and Environmental Control Facility (Godbold), capable of environmental control of temperature, ocean acidification, oxygen, and light quality linked to dedicated image/video analysis facilities, choice chambers and other platforms to assess species behaviour and activity patterns. Peck will provide training in animal husbandry and physiology. Solan will oversee the project and provide set-up and metrology of benthic invertebrates. Godbold will provide training on experimental design, animal behaviour and statistical analysis, as well as image and video analysis. The candidate will quantify species roles in present versus future climatic conditions, accounting for seasonal and regional variability, and quantify whether single versus multiple species responses to near-term environmental change affects ecosystem functioning. Supervision will be facilitated through personal visits as well as through online contact during any fieldwork.

Methodology:
This project will utilise field collected species returned to Cambridge from Rothera Research Station to assemble a series of laboratory-based incubations to determine whether the physiological and behavioural responses of Antarctic benthic species to changing conditions alters the provision of ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling. The candidate will use representative species of the Antarctic seafloor to measure changes in growth, behaviour (self-righting, re-burial, predator avoidance), reproduction, and sediment processing in an area experiencing rapid climate change. Data from the RATs time-series will support the study by proving past and present conditions, and future climate scenarios will be replicated in laboratory manipulated experiments based on predicted IPCC scenarios. Overall this studentship will provide novel insight into the interactions of species-specific physiological changes and Antarctic seafloor processes. The methodology used is supported by existing infrastructure at the British Antarctic Survey research stations, transport aquariums, and Southampton BEFF laboratories. This also utilises the experience of the PIs and the collaboration of polar physiological expertise at BAS with sediment processes at Southampton. The involvement of BAS ensures access to the archive of polar species obtained across various projects and housed at Cambridge. We will explore the possibility of Antarctic logistic support for the candidate to undertake benthic fieldwork in situ, which will be subject to securing a supporting CASS award.

Training:
All doctoral candidates will enrol in the Graduate School of NOCS (GSNOCS), where they will receive specialist training in oral and written presentation skills, have the opportunity to participate in teaching activities, and have access to a full range of research and generic training opportunities. GSNOCS attracts students from all over the world and from all science and engineering backgrounds. There are currently around 200 full- and part-time PhD students enrolled (~60% UK and 40% EU & overseas). Specific training will include:

We will provide comprehensive personal and professional development training alongside extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/policy partners. The student will be registered at the University of Southampton and hosted at Ocean and Earth Science, with time spent at British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. Specific training will include:
(i) experience of ecological patterns and processes in Antarctic benthic ecosystems,
(ii) design, maintenance and metrology of sediment-invertebrate systems, including incorporation of multiple aspects of climate change,
(iii) image and video analysis to quantify changes in species activity, behaviour and interactions,
(iv) univariate and multivariate statistical analysis,
(v) communicating to policy makers through the Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR) which reports on issues relating the Antarctic Treaty.