Mobile mesocosm pools for the study of the effects of environmental change on predator-prey interactions.

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The majority of organisms on Earth live in environments that have already been more or less altered by human activity. The goal of my research program is to understand how such alterations, both biotic (introduction of invasive species) and abiotic (turbidity, CO2, temperature) affect predator-prey dynamics in aquatic ecosystems. Despite the wealth of studies about the effects of particular stressors on the physiology of focal species, we know very little about the ecological implications of those stressors for ecosystems. I want to use an innovative approach, combining behavioural and sensory ecology, to understand (1) how these changes affect the way organisms perceive, and interact with, their altered environment and (2) how organismal effects in turn affect ecosystem functions through alteration in food webs. I will purchase a set of 12 mesocosm pools (1100 L) to stage semi-natural predator-prey encounters, in order to directly link environmentally-induced changes in prey or predator behaviour to changes in trophic outcomes (predation rate, prey selectivity by predators). This equipment is vital to my research program, as it allows me and my graduate students to uncover potentially unexpected patterns of interactions between predator and prey. This equipment will be used continually throughout the summer months at a variety of locations and hence also requires the purchase of a trailer to transport the pools. Given the applicability of connecting behavioural and trophic outcomes, I anticipate this equipment to be highly sought after by all my graduate students. For instance, 3 of my graduate students are presently waiting on mesocosm pools to ground-thruth their findings on the effects of salinity and turbidity on antipredator alterations in prey fishes. I anticipate 5 more graduate students to include such validation in their research projects in the next granting cycle. In addition, a number of aquatic ecologists from Biology, the Toxicology Center and the School of the Environment have expressed interest in this type of equipment, given the lack of a mesocosm facility on campus. Thus, I anticipate that this equipment will be fully utilized.