Invertebrates from the ANTARXXVII Leg1 expedition to the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica - images

This work is part of the project Refugia and Ecosystem Tolerance in the Southern Ocean (RECTO) funded by the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO). Grant Numbers: BR/154/A1/RECTO. RECTO applies a multidisciplinary approach in studying evolution and diversity of Southern Ocean faunas. RECTO has 6 main objectives: 1) Reconstruct population histories and phylogenies of selected faunas; 2) Link population histories and refugia to past climate changes; 3) Estimate variation of morphological traits and width of ecological niches; 4) Use physiological and energy limits and traits to model current and future species distributions; 5) Integrate distribution models into hydrodynamic and particle models; and, 6) Develop different scenarios on how target taxa will respond to future climate change. RECTO will focus on six different animal groups, comprising different trophic levels from the micro- over macro-benthos and pelagic crustaceans to fish and seabirds. The selected species differ in their biology, life history traits and dispersal capacities, which are all factors affecting their abilities to cope with environmental changes.