Sub-tidal Ecology of the Falkland Islands, with a Biogeographical Comparison between the Straits of Magellan and the Beagle Channel

Funding Bodies: CDS Fund (FIG), John Cheek Trust & RBC Ltd

Affiliations: University of Aberdeen, SAERI

Collaborators: British Antarctic Survey, University of Magallanes (Punta Arenas) and University of Chile (Santiago)

PhD Project Overview

This PhD project is investigating the marine ecology of the Falkland Islands sub-tidal (0-10m depth), both spatially and temporally, by use of dive survey techniques across a range of sites. Additionally, I have used Hummock Island as a case study to investigate the novel findings of peat soil pollution in the marine environment and its effects on the surrounding community structure, using the same diving techniques and depth band as above. I will also include a biogeographical chapter, comparing areas of similar geographies and latitudes namely the Falkland Islands, Straits of Magellan and the Beagle Channel, with South Georgia also compared as a known outlier, using both original and existing data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).  Finally, molecular phylogeographic techniques will also be applied to two model organisms that are present across all study regions. This will be used to test the hypothesis that the Falkland Islands acted as a ‘refugium’ for marine life during periods of recent Pleistocene glaciation, influencing contemporary population structures.

Project Objectives

  • Quantifying shallow benthic community structure at various sites around the Falkland Islands
  • Identify temporal influences on shallow benthic community structure around the Falkland Islands
  • Investigate peat soil in the Hummock Island shallow subtidal and its effects on the marine community structure
  • Establish shallow subtidal biogeography of the ‘Southern Cone’ (Falkland Islands, Straits of Magellan and the Beagle Channel) and South Georgia (currently delayed due to pandemic restrictions)
  • Evaluate contemporary and paleo population connectivity in two model marine invertebrates to help identify the role of Pleistocene glaciations in forging population structure

Amy Guest

Dates: Feb 2021 - Aug 2024

Supervisors: Prof Stuart Piertney, Dr Paul Brickle and Dr Alex Douglas
Bio
I have always been drawn to the great outdoors and its wildlife, and luckily these things weren’t difficult to find in both Scotland and the Falkland Islands, where I grew up. I also had an interest in the sciences, and so naturally I steered towards an environmental science-related career.
In 2019 I received my BSc (Hons) Biology which included an ‘Industry Year’, where I worked as a research assistant here at SAERI. Following various other volunteer opportunities, I spent a year as a Scientific Fisheries Observer for the Falkland Islands Government, which introduced me to the broad spectrum of marine life present in the islands, and paved the way for me to return to SAERI for my PhD (via University of Aberdeen). As someone who calls the Falklands my home, I feel very lucky to be studying and researching the local marine environment for a job.
Hummock Team
Highlights for July 2020- June 21

I began my PhD in mid-February 2021, following a two-week dive survey trip to Hummock Island with members of the Shallow Marine Surveys Group (SMSG). This expedition was definitely a highlight to kick-start the PhD and test my marine fauna ID skills, with almost-perfect weather conditions too, which is rare in the Falklands!
Between March and June 2021, I carried out a two-month internship at the prestigious Natural History Museum with Professor Juliet Brodie, firstly working remotely and then travelling to London to complete the internship in the laboratory. There, I extracted DNA from herbarium algae specimens for sequencing purposes, which were collected from South Georgia in 2010. This was my first experience of working in a lab outside of my undergraduate degree training, so I learnt skills that will be really valuable for the final chapter of my PhD. It felt slightly surreal at times to walk past the huge blue whale skeleton in the main hall on a daily basis, with a staff ID - definitely a highlight of my entire life, not just this year! Plus, strict Covid-19 restrictions were enforced at that time, so it was also interesting to experience it all with fewer people around.
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