About the Project
Tropical coral reefs are amongst the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth with an estimated species richness of 530,000 – 1.3 million species. Much of this biodiversity comprises the small animals that live on or in the reef matrix, the so-called reef cryptofauna. The actual diversity of reef cryptofauna is poorly studied and what drives the structure of these communities is not well understood, despite their functional importance in the reef ecosystem. Recent work at the University of Oxford has indicated that at local scales environmental filtering may be an important driver of community assembly. However, at larger spatial scales processes such as competition or facilitation may be important. With coral reefs currently under serious threat from climate change and other direct human impacts it is important to understand the implications of reef loss for all components of marine biodiversity. This studentship will explore the drivers of the diversity of the reef cryptofauna and successional changes in cryptofauna communities. Approaches available include the use of Artificial Reef Monitoring Systems (ARMS) and environmental DNA or RNA approaches. High-specificity environmental variables will be measured by project collaborators at Stanford University enabling correlations to be made between cryptofauna diversity and environmental variables. Fieldwork will be based in British Indian Ocean Territory (the Chagos Marine Reserve), a reference site for coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, allowing for a rare opportunity to study reefs in as close to an undisturbed ecosystem as is possible. The PhD will involve SCUBA diving in remote localities and the use of genomic tools, as such SCUBA diving experience is required and knowledge and experience of genome/genetic techniques is desirable but not essential.
If you would like to apply please submit an application for a DPhil in Zoology stating Studentship Ref No: Rogers01. This studentship is tenable at Somerville College, please state this as your college preference. Application procedure details at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/dphil-zoology?wssl=1 . Please note: instead of a research proposal please submit a personal statement.
Funding Notes
This studentship is funded by the Bertarelli Foundation as part of the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science, and is part of a wider project studying the conservation value of reef biodiversity in collaboration with Professor Rob Dunbar’s team at Stanford University.
The Studentship is funded from 1st October 2018 until 30th September 2021, with an annual stipend of £14,777 as well as funding for University and College fees at the EU/Home rate.
References
Al-Rshaidat MMD, Snider A, Rosebraugh S, Devine AM, Devine TD, Plaisance L, Knowlton N, Leray M (2017) Deep COI sequencing of standardized benthic samples unveils overlooked diversity of Jordanian coral reefs in the northern Red Sea. Genome 59: 724-737.
Fisher R, O’Leary RA, Low-Choy S, Mengersen K, Knowlton N, Brainard RE, Caley MJ (2015) Species richness on coral reefs and the pursuit of convergent global estimates. Current Biology 25: 500-505.
Head CEI, Bonsall MB, Koldeway H, Pratchett MS, Speight M, Rogers AD (2015) High prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean Coral Reefs 34: 905-915.
Pearman JK, Anlauf H, Irigoien X, Carvalho S (2016) Please mind the gap: Visual census and cryptic biodiversity assessment at central Red Sea coral reefs. Marine Environmental Research 118: 20-30.
Ransome E, Geller JB, Timmers M, Leray M, Mahardini A, Sembiring A, et al. (2017) The importance of standardization for biodiversity comparisons: A case study using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) and metabarcoding to measure cryptic diversity on Mo'orea coral reefs, French Polynesia. PLoS ONE 12: e0175066.
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