Interactive effects of dogwhelk predation risk and environmental stress on barnacles and mussels from rocky shores in Nova Scotia, Canada

Project #1 will investigate if environmental stress influences the non-consumptive effects that predatory dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) have on recruitment and growth of intertidal barnacles (Semibalanuns balanoides). The experimental setup will use enclosure cages to manipulate dogwhelk presence, plastic sheets to manipulate desiccation and heat stress, and plates to monitor barnacle recruitment and growth. The density of barnacle recruits will be recorded repeatedly during the recruitment season (May and June), while growth will be monitored in July. The experimental protocols have been used successfully in recent studies on Nova Scotia shores.

Project #2 will investigate if dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) have non-consumptive effects on mussel (Mytilus edulis) recruitment, growth, and community composition within mussel beds. The experimental setup will manipulate dogwhelk presence in the same way as Project #1. Mussel recruitment will be measured using special recruit collectors, mussel growth by transplanting juvenile mussels into the dogwhelk cages, and community composition by identifying the small invertebrates that grow among mussels in test mussel beds that will transplanted into the the dogwhelk cages.

Weitere Informationen

Unternehmen

Helmholtz Gemeinschaft

Bereich/Abteilung

Alfred-Wegener-Institut - Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung

Abschlussart

Masterarbeit / Diplomarbeit

Branche

Bio- und Gentechnologie

Schlagwörter

dogwhelk environmental stress Marine ecology biology

Anforderungen

We seek students with a strong interest in experimental marine ecology and field work. Candidates should demonstrate good English language skills. Both candidates could start working in Nova Scotia in February or March 2015. Additional supervision for both projects will be provided by Dr Markus Molis, from AWI Bremerhaven. Multiple discussion sessions will be conducted through online conferencing between StFX and AWI during the projects.

Zusatzinformationen

All experiments will be set up in rocky intertidal habitats on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The necessary infrastructure (field materials, two vehicles, and laboratory space) will be provided by the Marine Ecology lab of Prof. Dr. Ricardo Scrosati at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX), who will act as the local supervisor.