Background
Phytoplankton are primary producers and the basis for most of the life in the ocean. About half of all photosynthetic products and oxygen on Earth are produced by phytoplankton. The production of higher trophic levels in the food web, such as fish stocks are dependent both on the phytoplankton composition and production. In phytoplankton communities the total abundance, the taxonomic composition and relative abundance of each taxon changes through the seasons. Due to climate change and pollution the diversity, production and seasonal dynamics are under change in the sea and especially in highly populated coastal waters such as in Oslofjorden. Phytoplankton communities also serve as indicators of water quality and ecosystem status.
DNA-based methods, especially metabarcoding have recently become a common method in microbial diversity studies as it may detect also morphologically similar, tiny, fragile and rare taxa. Molecular methods also have the potential to become time-efficient and automated, and independent of specific taxonomic expertise. Light microscopy analysis of phytoplankton communities is however still the standard method in monitoring in Norway. Samples for metabarcoding analyses have been collected during monitoring sampling in Oslofjorden for some years by NIVA, but not yet analysed.
Project description
We offer two master’s projects where the students will use plankton samples and data collected during the monitoring of Oslofjorden water quality by NIVA, and analyse phytoplankton diversity and dynamics by molecular biological methods (metabarcoding). The samples will be processed by molecular biological lab methods, sequenced by high-throughput sequencing and analysed by bioinformatics and biostatistics.
One project will examine the metabarcoding biodiversity data with available microscopical phytoplankton and chlorophyll data available from the NIVA monitoring, to see how they compare. What taxa can be revealed with the two methods? How well can the metabarcoding data reveal relative abundance of different taxonomic groups? And how do the phytoplankton diversity vary through a year?
The other project will test different methodological questions for the development of metabarcoding as a useful monitoring method of phytoplankton.
The students will also join at least one field sampling in Oslofjorden onbord the UiO research vessel Trygve Braarud to get the experience how the monitoring sampling at NIVA is done
What we offer
We offer an inclusive and stimulating research environment where the students are encouraged to join the research group activities and engage with other students and researchers at AQUA. This work will be part of the project “Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics under Anthropogenic Pressures” https://www.mn.uio.no/ibv/english/research/sections/aqua/research-projects/coastal-ecosystems/index.html. The students will also be supervised and collaborate with researchers at NIVA and get an insight into monitoring of plankton and water quality there.
Supervisors
The students will be supervised by Bente Edvardsen at AQUA, IBV (internal) and Sandra Gran-Stadniczenko, Annette Engesmo and Elianne Egge Dunthorn from Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA, eksternal).
If you are interested
Please contact Bente Edvardsen (bente.edvardsen@ibv.uio.no) for discussion and questions you may have about these projects.