PhD Studentship: Connect Severn: Conservation and ecological implications for threatened migratory fishes of restoring longitudinal connectivity of a major river basin

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University

Full Project Title: Connect Severn: Conservation and ecological implications for threatened migratory fishes of restoring longitudinal connectivity of a major river basin
Habitat fragmentation is a major source of biodiversity loss in freshwaters, with rivers around the world fragmented by dams and weirs that create impoundments. These impoundments restrict river longitudinal connectivity, inhibit fish migrations across ecosystem boundaries (marine-freshwater), prevent lifecycle completion, modify gene-flow and impact population sustainability.
Restoring longitudinal connectivity can be achieved via ‘fish-passes’ on the impoundments, but these only favour movements of salmonid fishes. Increasingly, impoundment removal is used as the holistic alternative. There have, however, been few attempts to quantify its conservation and ecological outcomes for non-salmonid migratory fishes, despite these species facing unprecedented European population declines, such as in shads Alosa spp. and sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus.
Most British rivers suffer substantial longitudinal disconnection. This includes the River Severn and its tributaries (e.g. River Teme), where major impoundments have been present in their lower reaches for over 150 years, despite their Alosa spp. and P. marinus populations of European importance. These migratory species cannot access their historical spawning grounds. Instead, they share spawning areas downstream of the final impoundment. The result is high competition for spawning sites, reduced reproduction success, increased hybridisation between Alosa spp., and limited freshwater nutrient enhancement from P. marinus [9]. Correspondingly, from 2016, weir removals and new fish-pass engineering in the lower Severn and Teme will re-connect these fishes with over 250 km of lost habitat.
Consequently, the research aim is to use the River Severn catchment as the model system, and Alosa spp. and P. marinus as the model fishes, to quantify the conservation and ecological impacts of river re-connection.
Objectives (O) are to:
O1. Quantify shifts in the spatial utilisation of the rivers by the model fishes following re-connection;
O2. Quantify temporal and spatial shifts in the species composition of Alosa spp. progeny, including rates of hybridisation;
O3. Trace the input of marine-derived nutrients from P. marinus through the freshwater food-web in the reconnected sites and quantify its enrichment of the freshwater food-web; and
O4. Using the outputs of O1 to 3, transfer knowledge to river managers and regulators on the conservation and ecological impacts of river re-connection.
Methods and outcomes: The research is completed on the restored areas of the River Severn and especially its tributary, the River Teme. Objective 1 and 2 uses direct techniques, including nest counts, egg and juvenile sampling, developed by the supervisory team on the River Teme in 2015, and on sites with baseline data already available. These are supplemented by indirect techniques, including environmental-DNA methodologies using extant protocols, and molecular tools such as Alosa spp. identification from eggs [10]. Objective 3 uses stable isotope analysis in P. marinus spawning areas, with analysis of post-spawned P. marinus to provide initial data and subsequent sampling and analysis to trace the flow of their nutrients through the food-web. Outcomes are in research (e.g. peer-reviewed papers) and knowledge transfer (e.g. their translation into conservation guidelines), with the latter involving regulators and stake-holders in workshops held in the PhD’s final stages.
Training Opportunities
The PhD provides substantial training opportunities, including:
- Molecular methods: Aspects of the research are strongly reliant on the application of contemporary molecular methods such as environmental-DNA and identification of species from DNA extracted from fish eggs. Training will be delivered throughout the PhD on this through a combination of formal off-campus training and informal laboratory training from the supervisory team. This will also include training in field sample collection and preservation to ensure samples are not ruined prior to analysis.
- Stable isotope analysis: A fundamental component of the analysis for Objective 3 is the application of stable isotope analysis (SIA) ecology (15N, 13C) to plant and animal material collected in the field. Full training will be provided on how to collect, prepare and analyse SI samples and data, including in the innovative packages 'Stable Isotopes in R package (SIAR)' and that will assist interpretation of the food-web consequences of nutrient enrichment from migratory fishes.
- Research skills: training will be provided via formal and informal approaches on research skills including literature review, writing scientific publications and presentation skills.
-The student will be supported in completed the Animal Procedures Modules 1-3 and so obtain their Home Office personal license.
SUPERVISORY TEAM
First Supervisor: Dr Demetra Andreou
Additional Supervisors: Dr Emilie Hardouin; Professor Rob Britton
Eligibility Criteria
All candidates must satisfy the University’s minimum doctoral entry criteria for studentships of an honours degree at Upper Second Class (2:1) and/or an appropriate Masters degree. An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum (or equivalent) is essential for candidates for whom English is not their first language.

Funding information

Funding applies to:

Open to applicants from a range of countries

Contacts and how to apply

Academic contact:

To discuss this opportunity further, please contact Dr Demetra Andreou via email: dandreou@bournemouth.ac.uk

Administrative contact and how to apply:

Please complete the online application form by 31st May 2016. For further information and details of how to apply please see here.

Application deadline:

31 May 2016