Lighting up zooplankton - mapping marine light using robotics

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Light plays a key role in the behaviour and life cycles of marine ecosystems, from determining the timing and magnitude of primary production, to enabling visual predation and therefore being directly linked to survival. Zooplankton, a diverse group of small aquatic invertebrates, are known to modify their vertical position in the water column depending on the level of illumination1. They are often used as a target group of species as we can i) study their behaviour and response to light in the laboratory, and ii) observe their behaviour in situ using acoustic and video imaging technology. Underwater illumination can be modified by changes in riverine input, light pollution from human inhabitation or fish farms, solar elevation, and the magnitude, community composition, and depth of phytoplankton blooms. We are aware that underwater light is changing globally, caused by climate driven changes in the amount and type of run-off in coastal areas, and changes in primary production timing and magnitude, both of which have consequences for the optical properties of water. This studentship will combine state-of-the-art autonomous sampling methods, sophisticated acoustic technology, and newly developed underwater light modelling approaches to fully quantify the temporal and spatial scales of changes in the light field that exist in a river to coast habitat. The aim of this is to quantify the effect this has on the zooplankton community that is known to modulate their vertical positioning in relation to light. The key research question is: How are changes in the marine environment reflected in underwater light, and what effect does this have on zooplankton?