Florence Atherden

PhD student, University of Southampton

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Title: The Physiology of Polar Zooplankton

Supervisors: Dr Dan Mayor (NOC), Dr Cathy Lucas (University of Southampton), Dr Kathryn Cook (NOC), Prof David Pond (University of Stirling) , Prof Mark Viant (University of Birmingham)

Project Description

Zooplankton, and in particular copepods, play a key role in Arctic ecosystems. They are a crucial link between primary producers and higher trophic levels, such as fish, and significantly contribute to biogeochemical cycling, e.g. the biological carbon pump. I am using metabolomics (the un-targeted study of the products of cell metabolism) to understand the physiology of zooplankton (Calanus spp.) in the Arctic Ocean.

Key questions of this project include:

  • Can metabolomics indicate environmental factors driving reproduction success?
  • Can metabolomics identify biomarkers associated with different physiological states?

This work is a component of DIAPOD, a project seeking to understand the future impacts of climate change on Arctic copepods and will further our understanding of copepod life history traits.

Related Articles

  • Arctic study to shed light on organisms key to the food chain

    A research team – led by a University of Stirling expert – will set off on a scientific cruise to the Arctic Ocean this weekend in a bid to understand the behaviour of tiny organisms that are key to the food chain. Read more

    04 August 2019
    Press Release