Fully Funded Studentship: Winners and losers in a more acidified ocean: impact on the physiology and life history of two pteropod species (MANNO_U14EE) University of East Anglia -School of Environmental Sciences

Deadline: 6th January 2014.

Supervisor: Dr Clara Manno

The Project:

Ocean acidification, induced by increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, is recognised by reductions in pH, carbonate ion concentration, and calcium carbonate saturation state in the upper ocean. These effects are especially severe at high-latitudes, where cold temperatures enhance the solubility of CO₂. Pteropods, the main planktonic producers of aragonite in the worlds’ oceans, are particularly vulnerable to forecasted changes in sea water carbonate chemistry. Although polar species L. helicina and sub-polar speciesL. retroversa belong to the same genus, their life-history and physiology are different. Biogeographic shifts in species distributions resulting from a change in environmental conditions are widely reported, particularly during the present era of rapid regional climatic change. Since L. helicina is the dominant calcifying species in some parts of the Southern Ocean, its potential regional extinction through ocean acidification can have wide biogeochemical implications. Whether or not L. retroversa will replace L. helicina is an important question for polar foodwebs and carbon budget. 

The project will aim to carry out comparative analyses on the physiology and life-history of L. helicina and L. Retroversa. The relative abundance of both species will be investigated on exiting zooplankton net and sediment trap long term datasets, mainly in the Southern Ocean, but also in Arctic. The sensitivity of both species to ocean acidification will be investigated in incubation experiments, with manipulated seawater, in order to estimate the specific responses of these organisms under the combined impacts of increasing of CO₂ levels and temperature.

Requirements, training and opportunities:

Training and fieldwork:

We seek an enthusiastic, pro-active team player with strong scientific interests and self-motivation. She/he will have at least a 2.1 honours degree in biology, or a branch of environmental science. The candidate will participate in one Southern Ocean sampling campaign for which he/she will receive training in sea-survival techniques and field-laboratory health and safety. On board, the student will participate in the collection of pteropods by zooplankton nets and run carbonate chemistry manipulation experiments. He/She will collect and analyse seawater for Total Alkalinity and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in order to determine the carbonate saturation levels in the natural environment. The student will learn how to measure the physiological response of pteropods and will develop skills in analysing datasets. The student will be enrolled in the UEA Science Graduate School (www.uea.ac.uk/sci/gradschool/training).

This project has been shortlisted for funding by the newly-created ENV East Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) – a collaboration led by the University of East Anglia, with the Universities of Essex and Kent, and twenty other partners. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed as part of the Studentship Competition. The interview dates will be 14th and 15th February 2014 at one of the three Universities listed above.

Entry Requirements:

First degree (2.1) in a relevant subject such as Biology, or a branch of environmental science.

Funding:

Funding is available for this project. For full details visit: https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/science/environmental-sciences

To discuss the application process or particular projects, please contact the: Admissions Office, email:pgr.enquiries.admiss@uea.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1603 591709.