Uncovering the long term sensitivity of Southern Ocean phytoplankton to Antarctic climate change, using novel geochemical and ancient DNA proxies

利用新型地球化学和古代 DNA 代理揭示南大洋浮游植物对南极气候变化的长期敏感性

• 批准号: 2578968
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2578968
• 关键词: Uncovering; long; term; sensitivity; Southern

The Antarctic is changing. Delicate ecosystems, from marine mammals and birds, to the phytoplankton at the base of the food web, are under threat from both global warming and human activities such as fishing and whaling.BackgroundThe goal of this project is to better understand how Antarctic phytoplankton will react and adapt to future changes, by examining changes in the past.The early Holocene is characterised by warming comparable to future 21st century projections, and the Holocene/Anthropocene transition experienced severe environmental disturbance from climate change and fishing during the acceleration of industrialisation. However, there are no fossil records from many of the main phytoplankton groups with which to examine their past sensitivity.In this project the student will reconstruct past phytoplankton changes in the Southern Ocean, and the offshore Antarctic Peninsula, with diatom micropalaeontology and sedimentary ancient DNA - a new technique recently developed for non-fossilising groups.The student will also use geochemistry to date the core material, and reconstruct environmental change.Research focusThe aims of this project are to provide the first records of past changes to Antarctic phytoplankton from species that do not produce a fossil record. Sediment core palaeo-proxies for stable isotopes and micropalaeontology will aid in constraining our reconstructions of past marine environments, with which to build a new understanding of the main causes of phytoplankton change both in the past and into the future.The student will have opportunities to be involved in the design of the project, particularly with respect to the existing skills and interest in marine, earth and biological sciences. A range of palaeo-proxies are available including but not limited to ancient DNA, isotope geochemistry, and micropalaeontology.

南极正在发生变化。从海洋哺乳动物和鸟类到食物网底部的浮游植物，脆弱的生态系统都受到全球变暖和捕鱼和捕鲸等人类活动的威胁。背景该项目的目标是通过研究过去的变化，更好地了解南极浮游植物将如何反应和适应未来的变化。全新世早期的特点是变暖与未来 21 世纪的预测相当，并且 全新世/人类世转型经历了工业化加速过程中气候变化和渔业带来的严重环境干扰。然而，许多主要浮游植物群都没有化石记录来检验它们过去的敏感性。在这个项目中，学生将利用硅藻微古生物学和沉积古DNA（这是最近为非化石群开发的一项新技术）重建南大洋和南极半岛近海浮游植物过去的变化。学生还将使用地球化学来测定核心材料的年代， 重建环境变化。研究重点该项目的目的是提供南极浮游植物过去变化的第一批记录，这些记录来自不产生化石记录的物种。稳定同位素和微古生物学的沉积物核心古代理将有助于限制我们对过去海洋环境的重建，从而对过去和未来浮游植物变化的主要原因建立新的认识。学生将有机会参与项目的设计，特别是在海洋、地球和生物科学方面的现有技能和兴趣方面。可以使用一系列古代理，包括但不限于古代 DNA、同位素地球化学和微古生物学。