Bachelor- or Master-Thesis: Effects of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine invertebrate life cycle and larval development
Alfred Wegener Institute
marine invertebrate life cycle and larval development
Background The ever-increasing human activities at sea (e.g. cargo shipping, oil exploitation, offshore windfarm construction and operation) are progressively changing the marine acoustic environment by the introduction of anthropogenic underwater noise (AUN). While the effect of AUN on marine mammals has been studied for years, little is known on how marine invertebrates are affected by AUN. Recent studies showed that boat noise or seismic survey have the possibility to interfere with invertebrate live cycles and larval development, possibly causing long lasting alterations in the ecosystem. As in coastal seas ever larger areas are covered by offshore windfarms it is crucial to understand whether the continuous low frequency noise emitted by them, has the potential to interfere with the live cycles and larval development of the invertebrate communities of these seas.
The thesis is part of the international project ORCHESTRA (ecOsystem Responses to Constant offsHorE Sound specTRA), funded within the framework of the JPI-Oceans joint action on Underwater Noise in the Marine Environment (https: // www. jpi-oceans.eu/en/underwater-noise-marine-environment) which investigates the response of marine invertebrates to anthropogenic noise. The data resulting project will be combined with information on local soundscapes and species abundances to identify in turn areas with the largest risks of being affected by AUN.
Tasks This study aims to experimentally investigate the effects of AUN on the live- cycle and larval development on common marine invertebrates (such as the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris ) from the North Sea. Specifically it will be investigated how low frequency noise affects fertilization success, larval development, larval morphology, larval settlement, larval feeding and juvenile fitness (i.e. growth and respiration).
Specific tasks will be
Carrying out literature surveys on the effects of noise on aquatic invertebrates
Carrying out experiments investigating sound effects on selected benthic invertebrates and their planktonic larvae.
Requirements
Further Information The place of employment will be Bremerhaven, 27570. Start: as soon as possible
You are interested? Then please send us your application with Cover letter an CV (with all documents merged into one PDF file) by e-mail to: Dr. Alexa Wrede ([email protected])
For further information please contact Dr. Wrede also.