Project Details
Projekt
Biodiversity of polychaetes with revision of Trichobranchidae and Antarctic Ampharetidae under consideration of cryptic speciation processes in the Southern Ocean
Applicant
Dr. Myriam Schüller
Subject Area
Oceanography
Atmospheric Science
Atmospheric Science
Term
from 2008 to 2012
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 85814908
During the last two decades the biodiversity of the deep Southern Ocean, foremost the Antarctic Peninsula region and the Weddell Sea, has become a focus in Antarctic Research. In course of the expeditions ANDEEP I-III and ANDEEP-Systco (2002, 2005, 2007/08) several thousand polychaetes have been sampled and analyzed to date focussing on their identity and species composition. Also, first species descriptions and biodiversity studies have been published. In this project the analyses of biodiversity data, especially from the expedition ANDEEP-Systco, shall be extended to focussing also on ecological processes. Results will be correlated to biotic (plankton blossoms, food income, feeding ecology) and abiotic (geophysical and oceanographic data) factors that were studied in the aftermath of the expedition by different work groups. Additionally, the taxonomy, zoo- and phylogeography of the polychaete families Ampharetidae and Trichobranchidae, both abundant and speciose in all deep-sea samples, will form a major part of the project, in that species found in the deep Southern Ocean will be thoroughly revisited. In case of the Trichobranchidae a world-wide revision is desired in the long term. Also, the haplotype diversity and distribution of few selected species will be studied with the help of nuclear, mitochondrial and, partially, microsatellite markers to gain closer insight into actual horizontal and vertical distribution ranges, dispersal potential, and possible refugia.
DFG Programme
Infrastructure Priority Programmes
