A5020458687- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Tardigrade Biology and Ecology
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Marine and fisheries research
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Marine animal studies overview
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Arctic and Russian Policy Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
British Antarctic Survey
2016-2025
Natural Environment Research Council
2015-2024
Scottish Association For Marine Science
2024
South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute
2023
University of Tasmania
2003-2023
Grønlands Naturinstitut
2023
Université Libre de Bruxelles
2023
Australian National University
2023
Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
2023
Polish Academy of Sciences
2023
Phylum Tardigrada consists of ∼1000 tiny, hardy metazoan species distributed throughout terrestrial, limno-terrestrial and oceanic habitats. Their phylogenetic status has been debated, with current evidence placing them in the Ecdysozoa. Although there have efforts to explore tardigrade phylogeny using both morphological molecular data, limitations such as their few characters low genomic DNA concentrations resulted restricted taxonomic coverage. Using a protocol that allows us identify...
Abstract Comparative phylogeographic studies of animals with low mobility and/or high habitat specificity remain rare, yet such organisms may hold fine‐grained palaeoecological signal. Comparisons multiple, codistributed species can elucidate major historical events. As part a multitaxon programme, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) variation was analysed in two terrestrial flatworm, Artioposthia lucasi and Caenoplana coerulea . We applied coalescent demographic estimators nested clade...
We assessed the available morphological evidence to see if this corroborates paraphyly in Parachela (Tardigrada) as suggested by recent molecular data. reconcile phylogenetics with alpha morphology, focusing on claw and apophysis for insertion of stylet muscles (AISM). combine define six new taxa within Schuster et al 1980. These include two families Isohypsibiidae fam. nov. Ramazzottidae along four superfamilies Eohypsibioidea superfam. nov., Hypsibioidea super- Isohypsibioidea Macrobiotoidea
Sea ice, including icebergs, has a complex relationship with the carbon held within animals (blue carbon) in polar regions. Sea-ice losses around West Antarctica's continental shelf generate longer phytoplankton blooms but also make it hotspot for coastal iceberg disturbance. This matters because regions ice scour limits blue storage ecosystem services, which work as powerful negative feedback on climate change (less sea increases blooms, benthic growth, seabed and sequestration). resets...
Southern Ocean ecosystems are globally important. Processes in the Antarctic atmosphere, cryosphere, and directly influence global atmospheric oceanic systems. biogeochemistry has also been shown to have importance. In contrast, ocean ecological processes often seen as largely separate from rest of system. this paper, we consider degree connectivity at different trophic levels, linking with ocean, their importance not only for regional ecosystem but wider Earth We human system connections,...
Abstract Precautionary conservation and cooperative global governance are needed to protect Antarctic blue carbon: the world's largest increasing natural form of carbon storage with high sequestration potential. As patterns ice loss around Antarctica become more uniform, there is an underlying increase in capture‐to‐storage‐to‐sequestration on seafloor. The amount captured per unit area available also increasing. Carbon could further under moderate (+1°C) ocean warming, contrary decreasing...
Abstract Comparative phylogeography can reveal processes and historical events that shape the biodiversity of species communities. As part a comparative research program, new, endemic Australian genus log‐dependent (saproxylic) collembola was investigated using mitochondrial sequences, allozymes anonymous single‐copy nuclear markers. We found genetic structure corresponds with five priori microbiogeographical regions, population subdivision at various depths owing to palaeoclimatic...
Rising atmospheric CO2 is intensifying climate change but it also driving global and particularly polar greening. However, most blue carbon sinks (that held by marine organisms) are shrinking, which important as these hotspots of genuine sequestration. Polar increases with losses ice over high latitude continental shelf areas. Marine (sea ice, glacier retreat) generate a valuable negative feedback on change. Blue sea has been estimated, not how responds to retreat along fjords. We derive...
Abstract Global warming is causing significant losses of marine ice around the polar regions. In Antarctica, retreat tidewater glaciers opening up novel, low‐energy habitats (fjords) that have potential to provide a negative feedback loop climate change. These fjords are being colonized by organisms on and within sediment act as sink for particulate matter. So far, blue carbon in Antarctic has mainly been estimated using epifaunal megazoobenthos (although some studies also considered...
Antarctica has been isolated and progressively glaciated for over 30 million years, with only approximately 0.3 % of its area currently ice-free capable supporting terrestrial ecosystems. As a result, invertebrate populations have become fragmented, in some cases leading to speciation. Terrestrial species found often show multi-million year, even Gondwanan, heritage, little evidence recent colonisation. Mesobiotus is globally distributed tardigrade genus. It commonly divided into two...
Phylogeography can reveal evolutionary processes driving natural genetic-geographical patterns in biota, providing an empirical framework for optimizing conservation strategies. The long-term population history of a rotting-log-adapted giant springtail (Collembola) from montane southeast Australia was inferred via joint analysis mitochondrial and multiple nuclear gene genealogies. Contemporary populations were identified using multilocus genotype clustering. Very fine-scale sampling combined...
Meiofauna – multicellular animals captured between sieve size 45 μm and 1000 are a fundamental component of terrestrial, marine benthic ecosystems, forming an integral element food webs, playing critical roll in nutrient recycling. Most phyla have meiofaunal representatives studies these taxa impact on wide variety sub-disciplines as well having social economic implications. However, variation meiofauna presented with several important challenges. Isolating individuals from sample substrate...
Recent studies have suggested that some resident Antarctic biota are of ancient origin and may been isolated for millions years. The phylum Tardigrada, which is part the terrestrial meiofauna, particular interest due to an impressive array biochemical abilities withstand harsh environmental conditions. Tardigrades one few widespread animals potential be used as a model evolution biogeography on continent. We 126 individual tardigrades from four geographically soil samples two remote nunataks...
High latitude benthos are globally important in terms of accumulation and storage ocean carbon, the feedback this is likely to have on regional warming. Understanding ecosystem service but difficult because complex taxonomic diversity, history geography benthic biomass. Using South Georgia as a model location (where biology relatively well studied) we investigated whether composition functional groups were critical accumulation, immobilization burial pathway sequestration-and also aid their...
Abstract Marine systems have traditionally been thought of as “open” with few barriers to gene flow. In particular, many marine organisms in the Southern Ocean purportedly possess circumpolar distributions that rarely well verified. Here, we use highly abundant and endemic brittle star Ophionotus victoriae examine genetic structure determine whether flow existed around Antarctic continent. possesses feeding planktotrophic larvae presumed high dispersal capability, but a previous study...
<title>Abstract</title> Our knowledge of biogeographic patterns and processes in the deep sea has been limited by lack integrated datasets that cover its vast extent. Here we analyse a new global dataset genomic DNA sequences, spanning an entire taxonomic class benthic invertebrates (Ophiuroidea), to obtain broad understanding phylogenetic divergence biotic movement across all oceans, from coastal margins down abyssal plains. We show regional faunas on continental shelf are phylogenetically...
Phylogeographic studies provide a framework for understanding the importance of intrinsic versus extrinsic factors in shaping patterns biodiversity through identifying past and present microevolutionary processes that contributed to lineage divergence. Here we investigate population structure diversity Onychophoran (velvet worm) Euperipatoides rowelli southeastern Australian montane forests were not subject Pleistocene glaciations, thus likely retained more forest cover than systems under...
High throughput sequencing technologies are revolutionizing genetic research. With this "rise of the machines", genomic sequences can be obtained even for unknown genomes within a short time and reasonable costs. This has enabled evolutionary biologists studying genetically unexplored species to identify molecular markers or regions interest (e.g. micro- minisatellites, mitochondrial nuclear genes) by only fraction genome. However, when using such datasets from non-model species, it is...
Abstract The Southern Ocean archipelago, the South Orkney Islands ( SOI ), became world's first entirely high seas marine protected area MPA ) in 2010. continental shelf (~44 000 km 2 was less than half covered by grounded ice sheet during glaciations, is biologically rich and a key of both sea surface warming sea‐ice losses. Little known carbon cycle there, but recent work showed it very important site immobilization (net annual accumulation) benthos, one few demonstrable negative feedbacks...
The Southern Ocean is anomalously rich in benthos. This biodiversity native, mostly endemic and perceived to be uniquely threatened from climate- anthropogenically- mediated invasions. Major international scientific effort throughout the last decade has revealed more connectivity than expected between fauna north south of worlds strongest marine barrier – Polar Front (the jet Antarctic Circumpolar Current). To date though, no research demonstrated any radiations taxa out Ocean, except at...