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PEbbles, ice and TalitroidS – a test on overlooked beaches in the frame of autecology (PETS)
IADC_id: 794
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Call year: 2024
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Field records and observations are the backbone of ecology and zoology research. Sampling locations and rntheir intrinsic characteristics are therefore an essential asset for the test of hypotheses. Currently, when rncomes to the ecology of sandy shores, there are known gaps affecting dataset upon which paradigms are set: rnbeaches with substrate different than fine sand, and of climatic zones different than tropical-subtropicaltemperate are overlooked (McLachlan and Defeo, 2017). However, the autecological hypothesis which can rnbe used to define beach resident populations’ presence and traits, foresees the existence of resident talitroid rnfauna, finetuned to specific beach “personality” and especially on substrate differences (Gauci et al., 2005; rnLowry and Fanini, 2013). Furthermore, in a context of shifting baselines, habitats at the edge of the paradigms rnneed attention and monitoring. The initial and essential step to tighten the gap is therefore to perform a field rnsampling. The shores of Longyearbyen and NyÅlesund were identified as suitable to the test and extend rnbeach paradigms. Our fieldwork will be based on standard methods which return comparable results in terms rnof species presence and biodiversity assessments of mobile macrofauna (Fanini and Lowry, 2016). Talitroid rnamphipods will be the target of our work. It is a diverse and widespread taxon, with genetic and epigenetic rnadaptability, and is a relevant component of beach functionality. There is no previous research record of the rnkind performed in Svalbard, even though baselines for biodiversity are shifting (Weslawski et al., 2010), rntherefore we do intend to attempt at that. The midnight sun condition is a further, extremely interesting rnenvironmental setting to be considered for a taxon known for activity peaks around dusk and dawn in rntemperate zones; there is no previous record of a 24-hour field sampling at these latitudes. The fieldwork is rndesigned to optimise time and costs as well as gather combined information. The tight cooperation between rnthe two researchers involved from University of Salento and University of Bergen will grant integration of rnthis action into broader frameworks such as species-environment perspectives.
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University of Bergen - Norway
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