PhD Studentship : Marine biodiversity and its future under environmental changes and exploitation

The marine biota provides an important component of our food systems, yet our knowledge of how many species are being harvested for human use is rather limited, especially among marine invertebrates. For example, marine bivalves – including the widely beloved scallops and oysters – are exploited by humans for food across the world, while also being important players in ecosystems. However, a critical first step towards understanding the diversity of exploited bivalves was only initiated recently in our 2023 study (Nature Communications). We compiled the first global list of bivalve species reported as having been used by humans and integrated the data with a global bivalve database of species traits, fossil occurrences and geographic distributions, setting the foundation for a forecasting framework forward for effective conservation and sustainable fishing opportunities and requirements (e.g. through collaboration with the Marine Stewardship Council, see below).

In this project, we will employ quantitative techniques to deliver research and contribute to sustainability assessment:

Q1. Good genes or good locations? Exploited bivalves are found to be of large sizes and living in shallower waters, suggesting inheritability of the potential for exploitation. Meanwhile, the proportion of bivalve species being exploited varies dramatically across the world, suggesting biogeographic and/or social-economic influence. A comparative analysis, synthesizing phylogenetic, geographic and social-economic factors, including biological traits, environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures, will illuminate the underlying drivers of exploitation.

Q2. Who have we missed? Using results for Q1, we will build predictive models, using a variety of techniques for cross-validations, to identify exploitable species that were not on the initial list. Some of these species were missing due to the lack of accessible documentation and others represent unrecognized food sources, especially if they are abundant and widespread to ensure sustainability and require low harvesting effort.

Q3. Where will they be by 2050? Fossil evidence shows that the geographic distributions of marine bivalves were extremely dynamic in response to climate changes. We will model how exploited species under future climate scenarios are likely to shift their distributions relative to the human populations that rely on them, which are critical for sustainable harvesting and conservation.

For further information on this project and details of how to apply to it please visit https://centa.ac.uk/studentship/2026-b19-marine-biodiversity-and-its-future-under-environmental-changes-and-exploitation/

Further information on how to apply for a CENTA studentship can be found on the CENTA website: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

Funding notes:
This project is offered through the CENTA3 DLA, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Funding covers: annual stipend, tuition fees (at home-fee level), Research Training Support Grant.

Academic requirements: at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent.

Further information: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

International students are eligible for studentships to a maximum of 30% of the cohort. Funding does not cover any additional costs relating to moving or residing in the UK. International applicants must fulfil the University of Birmingham’s international student entry requirements, including English language.  Further information: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/requirements-pgt/international/index.aspx.

References:
Edie, S. M., Huang, S., Collins, K. S., Roy, K. and Jablonski, D. (2018) ‘Loss of biodiversity dimensions through shifting climates and ancient mass extinctions’, Integr. Comp. Biol., 58, pp. 1179–1190. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icy111

Huang, S. et al (2023) ‘Diversity, distribution and intrinsic extinction vulnerability of exploited marine bivalves’, Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40053-y

Gephart, J.A. et al. (2021) ‘Environmental performance of blue foods’, Nature, 597, pp. 360–365. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03889-2

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