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TITLE: HABs modeling in interspecific competition. Application to
Alexandrium minutum blooms in the Bay of Brest (France). ABSTRACT: Recurrent blooms of the toxic algae Alexandrium minutum in coastal zones causes public health and societal issues. It is at the same time a research challenge that can be extended to other species: why a particular species is becoming dominant at a given time and area? What does control the species phenology (is it a biotic, abiotic or internal control)? This PhD will focus on the species A. minutum with the objective of answering to the above-mentioned questions. Study area will be the Bay of Brest (France), and a modern modeling approach based on physiological traits parameterization for generating emergent properties will be used. The model will be first studied on a theoretical basis before coupling it to hydrodynamics and trophic chain models. The aim is to parameterize the life history and behavioral traits for A. minutum and to take into account the intraspecific variability as well. Parameterization will be developed as well for other phytoplankton functional types, as for example pico-nanoplankton. To cope with these objectives, the PhD student will benefit from other in progress studies on phytoplankton diversity in the Bay of Brest (genetic diversity, cytometry and pigment diversity datasets). Moreover, this modeling study will be also developed with the objective of organizing into a hierarchy the different controls on A. minutum phenology, in order to simulate potential habitats for this species. KEYWORDS: Phytoplankton, competition, inter specific and intraspecific diversity, invasive species, physiological trait, coastal environment, modeling, Harmful algal blooms, Alexandrium minutum LAB: Ifremer (France), Dynamics of Coastal Ecosystems' Research Unit, http://wwz.ifremer.fr/dyneco FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact Marc Sourisseau: [email protected], Annie Chapelle: [email protected] DEADLINE: September, 5th, 2016 --
Cédric Bacher
Responsable de l'Unité de
Recherche 'Dynamiques des écosystèmes côtiers'
Head of 'Dynamics of Coastal Ecosystems' Research Unit http://wwz.ifremer.fr/dyneco IFREMER BP 70 29280 Plouzané France phone : 33 (0) 2 98 22 42 15 email : [email protected] Web Page : http://annuaire.ifremer.fr/cv/15747/en/ |
