EMBC+ Thesis defense 2017 - EMBC+ Master Programme · Thesis defense EMBC+ 27-28-29 June 2017 –...

EMBC+ Thesis defense 2017

Book of abstracts

Thesis defense EMBC+ 27-28-29 June 2017 – page 1

This publication should be quoted as follows:

Tim Deprez, Karim Erzini, Jean-Marc Guarini, Holger Auel, Ian O’Connor, Eva Garcia-Vazquez

(Eds). 2017. Book of abstracts – EMBC+ Thesis Event 2017. Gent, Belgium.

International Master of Science In Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Biology Department (WE11), Ghent University

Marine Biology Research group

Krijgslaan 281/S8

B9000 Gent, Belgium

Phone: +32 9 264 85 16

Fax: +32 9 264 85 98

Email: [email protected]

http://www.embcplus.org

Photo cover:

EMBC+ group picture cohort 2015, taking at EMBC+ Spring School in Sweden – April 2016

Reproduction is authorized, provided that appropriate mention is made of the source.

mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Programme overview 4

The prize Carlo Heip 5

EMBC best thesis award 6

Best thesis presentation prize 2014 7

Session 1 8

Session 2 14

Session 3 20

Session 4 26

Session 5 32

Session 6 38

Session 7 44

Session 8 50

Following the thesis defense online 55

EMBC+ Cohort 2015-2017 56

Digital Objects Cohort 2016 – 2018 60


Introduction

The Master thesis defense for the EMBC+ students for the cohort 2015-2017 is organized at

Ghent University (Belgium) from 26 to 29 June 2017. The thesis defense, which is public, is the

final deliverable of this two years master course.

The thesis defense is considered as an open event on which students can present their work

for a broader audience. The defense is also considered as a test to evaluate the student’s

presentation skills in science.

Although the event is organized at Ghent University (Belgium), the coordinating university of

the EMBC+ programme, a much broader audience will be able to follow all presentations

through video conferencing techniques. Not only the teachers of the six EMBC+ partner

Universities, but also the thesis evaluators from associated institutes follow and comment on

the thesis presentations through online live video facilities.

On Thursday 29 June, 2017 at 11.00 AM the event is closed with a proclamation at building S9

– Room 1.

Diplomas will be awarded by Prof. Herwig Dejonghe, Dean of the faculty of Sciences of Ghent

University and representative professors and teachers from all six EMBC+ partner Universities.

The proclamation is followed by a reception at building S8.

Campus Sterre, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Gent.

Arrows indicate Main entrance building S8; Multimedia room (M) and Auditorium A1 (A1) is

of building S9.

S8

S9 - M

S9 – A1


Programme overview

Tuesday 27 June 2017

9.00 – 10.30: Session 1 (Building S9 – Auditorium A1)

10.30 – 11.00: Coffee break (Building S8 – Meeting room)

11.00 – 12.30: Session 2 (Building S9 –Auditorium A1)

12.30 – 13.30: Lunch break + Digital objects Thesis Year 1 Students (Building S8)




Wednesday 28 June 2017




12.30 – 13.30: Lunch break + Digital objects Thesis Year 1 Students (Building S8)




Thursday 29 June 2017

9.00 – 11.00: Deliberation (Building S8 – Meeting Room – Teachers only)

11.00: Official Proclamation (Building S9 – Multimedia room)

12.30: Reception (Building S8)


The prize Carlo Heip

The "Prize Carlo Heip" is dedicated to the most deserving student of the International Master

of Science in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC+).

The EMBC+ master programme is coordinated by Ghent

University. Prof. Heip was the founder of the Marine

Biology Research Group of the Faculty of Sciences in Ghent

University and was considered as one of the leading experts

in Europe on Marine Biodiversity. Until October 2012 Prof.

Heip was a teacher in the course ‘Biogeochemical Cycles’ at

Ghent University. Prof. Heip died on 15 February 2013 at the

age of 67.

The ‘prize Carlo Heip’ aims to encourage students to join this

real European Master programme.

The prize Carlo Heip was previously awarded to:

Buga Berkovic from Croatia (2010)

Gregory Neils Puncher from Canada (2011)

Eva Werbrouck from Belgium (2012)

Carlos Miguel Gil Fernandez from Spain (2013)

Fanny Vessaz from Switzerland (2014)

Mirta Zupan from Slovenia (2015)

Katja Geiger from Germany (2016)


EMBC+ best thesis award

The “EMBC+ best thesis award” is given to the student who obtains the best overall thesis

score. The thesis work counts in the total curriculum of the student for one fourth of the

overall score and is as such a very important item of the programme.

An EMBC+ thesis is generally delivered in the format of a manuscript, for submission to a peer-

reviewed scientific journal. Therefor the number of pages is not important but much more the

quality and conciseness of the work.

Each thesis is evaluated by a jury of three international independent members. Each student

receives from each of their jury members a written feedback a few days before the

presentation. In this way students can anticipate on the comments.

The EMBC+ best thesis award was previously awarded to:

Mareike Volkenandt from Germany for her thesis entitled “Influence of environmental factors on artisanal Octopus vulgaris landings in Asturian waters (N Spain)” (2010)

Bart De Smet from Belgium for his thesis entitled “Intertidal Lanice conchilega reefs as feeding grounds for wading birds in the bay of the Mont Saint-Michel (France)” (2011)

Giada Maugeri from Italy for her thesis entitled “Visual and acoustic detection of cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) in the Ligurian Sea” (2012)

Marie-Claude Côté-Laurin from Canada for her thesis entitled “The short-term impacts of a cyclone on seagrass communities in Southwest Madagascar” (2013)

Henriette Grimmel from Germany for her thesis entitled “Assessment of Faunal Communities and Ecosystem Interactions in a Sub-Tropical Lagoon using Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations in Bimini, Bahamas” (2014)

Mareike Babuder from Germany for her thesis entitled “Niche divergence in giant kelp forests (Macrocystis pirifera)” (2015)

Néstor Echedey Bosch Guerra from Spain for his thesis entitled "Marinas as habitats for fish: A methodological approach using a combination of sampling techniques and diversity metrics" (2016)


Best thesis presentation prize 2015

The “Best thesis presentation prize” is awarded to the student who is giving the best thesis

presentation during the thesis defense. The prize is awarded by all attendants of the thesis

defense. Students, teachers and other attendants will be able to give a score on 10 for each

thesis presentation followed.

Scores are handed in after each session. The final score is calculated taking into account the

number of listeners per session.

With this prize the EMBC+ management board aims to encourage the defending students to

present their thesis work using the highest possible standards. The prize encourages also

interaction between the defending student and the audience.

The “Best thesis presentation prize” was previously awarded to:

Sofie Vanmaele from Belgium (2010)

Sven Le Moine Bauer from France (2011)

Ines Gomez from Portugal (2012)

Marie-Claude Côté-Laurin from Canada (2013)

Siel Wellens from Belgium (2014)

Miguel Angel Gonzalez Porras from Spain (2015)

Inma Ferrer Mateu from Spain (2016)


Session 1

Tuesday 27 June 2017, 9.00 – 10.30

Students with an * next to their name have submitted the written thesis by 5

June 2017. Students without an * will submit by 5 August 2017.

Aude Benhemma-Le Gall *

Tara Noonan *

Emilie Boulanger *

Soria Delva *


Long-term Static Acoustic Monitoring of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) at

the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site in Ireland

Aude Benhemma-Le Gall (France) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Joanne O'Brien

Thesis Institute: Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

ABSTRACT - Potential environmental effects of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) installations and

operations on small coastal cetaceans are, to date, poorly documented. Since this emerging

industry is still in its infancy, pilot-scale projects may be used as baseline to assess responses

of harbour porpoises to WEC structures. Since 2006, individual WEC have been intermittently

deployed and functioning at the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy (MRE) Test Site,

in Ireland. During the Static Acoustic Monitoring period (2006-2016), this area was an

important habitat for harbour porpoises, with strong seasonal pattern in their functional and

fine-scale temporal uses of the site. The occurrence and foraging behaviour of harbour

porpoises were driven by seasonal, diel, tidal and lunar cycles, highlighting the complexity of

their rhythmic behaviour. Changes in these natural patterns were observed throughout the

WEC deployment and functioning period. Harbour porpoises were more present at the site

before the WEC deployment period than after, implying they exhibited long-term

displacement and avoidance behaviour regarding anthropogenic disturbances. Their foraging

behaviour however increased in the vicinity of the WEC suggesting a local enhancement of the

feeding ground with higher prey availability. This study therefore provides baseline

information to help design and enforce effective mitigation measures.


Deep Seafloor Acoustic Observatories to study Marine Mammals

Tara Noonan (Ireland) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Gianni Pavan

Thesis Institute: Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Scienze della

Terra e dell’Ambiente, Centro Interdisciplinare di Bioacustica e

Ricerche Ambientali

ABSTRACT - Marine mammals are vulnerable to changes in their habitat, and the changes that

are introduced as a result of human activities are having an increasingly detrimental effect.

The monitoring of these animals in the past has been limited and opportunistic at best, and

restricted to short time scales, regions and depths. This has prompted the development of

more effective, larger scaled monitoring projects. By monitoring these animals acoustically

through their vocalisations, it is possible to use acoustic observatories in strategic locations

around the world to monitor and build conservation strategies for vulnerable species. The

observatories are connected to a research station on shore which eliminates portable memory

and power restrictions. This paper describes some of these cabled acoustic observatories and

the data that can be obtained from them. It also describes how the data from the stations,

and passive acoustic monitoring in general can be used to evaluate population density, which

is important in conservation management. Of all the pressures facing marine mammals in their

habitat, anthropogenic noise is probably the one with most cause for concern. Excessive noise

can be fatal to marine mammals and it’s vital that it is properly evaluated and understood, as

with the use of cabled acoustic observatories.


How spatial graphs can help us to better unravel drivers of genetic structure in

marine ecosystems: a case study of Mullus surmuletus in the Mediterranean Sea

Emilie Boulanger (Belgium) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Stéphanie Manel

Thesis Institute: École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) - Centre

d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE)

ABSTRACT - Connectivity and gene flow are of great importance for the dynamics and

persistence of populations. Understanding how dispersal and gene flow structure populations

in the marine environment is crucial for the improvement of fisheries management and for

the development of conservation strategies. In this study, we aimed to spatially unravel gene

flow patterns of the striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus in the Mediterranean Sea using a

spatial graph approach, combined with analyses of geographic patterns of genetic variation

and a multi-generational approach to larval dispersal. Our results showed a low genetic

structure and high level of admixture for M. surmuletus in the Mediterranean Sea, indicating

high levels of gene flow. A spatial graph then allowed us to further untangle intra-population

genetic structure by providing a spatially explicit representation of the genetic connectivity

network. Topology revealed a centralized network, and quantitative analyses revealed

Mediterranean islands as important stepping-stones in the network, suggesting that islands

can be important corridors for gene flow between continental populations. Stepping-stone

larval dispersal partially explained genetic connectivity (P = 0.004, Mantel r = 0.144),

highlighting the importance of considering multiple generations and different time scales

when relaying larval and genetic connectivity.


From alga to holobiont: diversity and dynamics of symbiotic bacteria in the

rhizosphere of the invasive macroalga Caulerpa cylindracea

Soria Delva (Belgium) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Olivier De Clerck, Kathryn Morissey

Thesis Institute: University of Ghent

ABSTRACT - The invasive success of the green macroalga Caulerpa cylindracea has repeatedly

been linked to an association with bacterial communities, emphasizing the need to consider

the alga together with its bacterial symbionts as a dynamic entity or ‘holobiont’. To this end,

we characterized the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of C. cylindracea and assessed

their stability under different environmental conditions. Although the rhizoid-associated

communities were distinct from the ones found in the sediment, they harboured several

bacterial groups that are commonly found in this habitat, including Desulfobacterales and

Actinomycetales. Furthermore, results showed that the application of different abiotic

stressors did not have a profound effect on bacterial diversity or community composition.

Nonetheless, several bacteria were exclusively found on stressed algae, while others were

consistently present under all conditions. These core bacteria mainly belonged to the order

Desulfobacterales, which may provide a competitive advantage to this alga by inducing

changes in sediment biogeochemistry. Moreover, our results provided the first indication that

C. cylindracea may be able to partly shape the structure of its associated communities by using

chemical metabolites. These findings raise the hypothesis that C. cylindracea increases its

invasive potential by assembling bacterial communities providing ecologically relevant

functions.



Session 2

Tuesday 27 June 2017, 11.00 – 12.30



Simone Salmina *

Ana Sotomayor Garcia *

Amanda Goble *

Maria Perez Tadeo *


Carbonic anhydrase in Mytilus galloprovincalis: characterization of the response to

copper exposure

Simone Salmina (Austria) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Maria Giulia Lionetto

Thesis Institute: University of Salento

ABSTRACT - The ubiquitous carbonic anhydrase (CA) plays an important role in the physiology

of animals and is one of the most studied enzymes. Previous studies evaluated the potential

of its use as new biomarker in biomonitoring programmes. This study aims to investigate the

relationship between CA and heavy metals more deeply. Therefore, Cu was used a reference

toxicant and CA activity was tested in vitro and in vivo using the sentinel organism Mytilus

galloprovincialis. Parallel lysosomal activation as another physiological response to metal

exposure was analysed to demonstrate if there is a functional coupling among CA and

lysosomes. The results were compared with earlier findings to better understand and further

characterize the response of CA activity to heavy metal exposure. CA sensitivity showed

interesting differences in both in vitro and in vivo tests. Hence, this work shows once more

how variable CA activity is regarding its tissue and metal specificity and these observations

provide necessary information and add important knowledge for a successful implementation

of CA as novel biomarker.


Viral communities’ distribution among four contrasting areas in the Southern Ocean

and their implication to marine aerosol formation

Ana Sotomayor Garcia (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Dolors Vaqué Vidal

Thesis Institute: Institute of Marine Sciences (CSIC)

ABSTRACT - Marine viruses play a key role in modulating several biogeochemical cycles, but

still, very little is known about their diversity and the structure of their communities. Recently,

interest is growing on the marine viruses’ contribution to the secondary marine aerosols

formation processes, enhancing the release of cell-enclosed sulphur (DMSP and DMS),

hydrocarbons (Isoprene) and organic nitrogen compounds (methylamines), which at some

point, can vent to the atmosphere and act as cloud condensation nucleus. Here, we aimed to

address whether viral community distribution and structure relate with the concentration of

secondary compounds in the water column. For that, we visited contrasting locations during

the PEGASO cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula (Orkney, and Anvers Islands) in Antarctic

waters, and nearby the South Georgia Island (Sub-Antarctic Ocean) with different

temperatures and chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl-a). The highest Chl-a, viral and bacterial

abundances and temperatures were detected nearby South Georgia. Surface viral

communities showed rather homogeneous patterns among zones. However, viruses from the

DCM (deep chlorophyll maximum) clearly segregated according to the sampling site. Finally,

marine viral abundances and their community structures were correlated with secondary

compounds concentrations in surface waters, which suggest their effect on the formation of

potential precursors to marine aerosols.


Signatures of Paleoacidification Events on Diversification of Coralline Red Algae

(Corallinophycidae)

Amanda Goble (United States) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Olivier De Clerck

Thesis Institute: Ghent University

ABSTRACT - Rather than traditional experimental approaches in ocean acidification (OA)

research, we propose a modern approach incorporating phylogenetics, as well as

diversification and biogeographical analyses, in a paleoacidification framework. In this thesis

we reconstruct an expanded and time-calibrated species-level phylogeny for a prime model

group, coralline red algae subclass Corallinophycidae, in an effort to link the effect of

paleoacidification on corallines as an analogue to projected acidification. Several

methodologies are employed in an attempt to detect phylogenetic signatures of

diversification rate shifts that can be linked in geological time to mass extinctions and

associated acidification events. We find evidence that three extinctions (Late Cretaceous,

Paleocene-Eocene, and Eocene-Oligocene) resulted in rate shifts, exemplifying the

detrimental nature of OA for corallines. To heighten our perspective on the age of the

corallines, we conduct an exploratory study implementing different model settings and

parameters on a dataset from a prior publication that presented conflicting results for the age

of corallines, and we provide contrasting dates that call for more research into this issue.

Furthermore, biogeographical analyses indicate that Corallinophycidae had origins in the

Central Indo-Pacific, and help to reveal details of the evolutionary story of this model group.


Activity budgets of a species of conservation concern in Ireland, the light-bellied

brent goose (Branta bernicla hrota), in different habitats.

Maria Perez Tadeo (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Martin Gammell

Thesis Institute: Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT)

ABSTRACT - Activity budgets of the light-bellied brent goose (Branta bernicla hrota) were

evaluated in different locations and associated habitats along the coast of inner Galway Bay

(SPA) during their stay in their wintering grounds in Ireland. Potential significant differences

in hourly energy expenditure (HEE) as well as in flying and vigilant behaviours connected to

habitat shift, from traditional natural wetlands to managed grasslands were assessed. The

results obtained did not show any significant differences in brent geese hourly energy

expenditure (HEE) linked to the use of different general areas or specific habitats. Brent geese

only showed significant differences between areas and habitats when vigilant behaviour was

evaluated. A GLM approach was also used in order to explore the relative importance of a

range of potential explanatory variables on HEE, flying and vigilant activities. The results

suggest that brent geese would not be affected by the habitat shift, revealing a great

adaptability to artificial managed grasslands.



Session 3

Tuesday 27 June 2017, 13.30 – 15.00



Julia Magdalena Wouters *

Carlota Vialcho Miranda *

Elisabet Nebot Colomer *

Cristina Garcia Fernandez *


Polychaete functional diversity along the Brazilian coast

Julia Magdalena Wouters (Switzerland) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Paulo Lana

Thesis Institute: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências

da Terra, Centro de Estudos do Mar

ABSTRACT - Innovative approaches are needed to help understanding the latitudinal gradient

in species diversity. Here we have applied a novel approach, by combining morphological and

biological traits, to assess the relative importance of the large-scale latitudinal gradient and

regional morphodynamic drivers in shaping the functional diversity of polychaete assemblages

in shallow water habitats, from exposed sandy beaches to estuarine ones. Literature data on

the occurence of polychaetes in shallow habitats along the south and southeastern Brazilian

coast was collected together with environmental variables such as slope, grain size,

temperature, salinity, chlorophyll A concentration and shallow habitat type. Generalized

linear models on the functional dispersion index calculated for each site and a combined RLQ

and fourth-corner analysis were used to investigate relationships between functional traits

and environmental variables. No latitudinal functional diversity gradient was found but

significant negative correlations with grain size and beach slope. Functional diversity was

highest in flat habitats with small grain size, little wave exposure and enhanced primary

production, indicating that that small-scale morphodynamic conditions are the primary drivers

of polychaete functional diversity along the eastern, southeastern and southern Brazilian

coast.


Distribution and abundance of the coastal population of bottlenose dolphins

(Tursiops truncatus) in Ireland

Carlota Vialcho Miranda (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Simon Berrow

Thesis Institute: GMIT

ABSTRACT - Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are a cosmopolitan species of cetacean

distributed throughout the world´s tropical and temperate seas. Irish waters contain some of

the highest concentration of this species in Europe (Evans, 1992), with widespread and

abundant populations commonly found in both coastal and offshore waters (Shane et al.

1986). For management and conservation measures to be effective it is vital that up-to-date

information on the population sizes, ranging patterns and spatial distribution. Three

genetically discrete population have recently been described in Ireland; one resident in the

Shannon Estuary, one inshore or coastal population and one offshore population (Mirimin et

al., 2011, Louis et al., 2014) Research on the only known resident population of bottlenose

dolphins has been carried out in the Shannon Estuary since 1993 (Berrow et al., 1996),

maintaining a photo-ID catalogue of 120 to 140 individual dolphins uniquely marked dolphins

using the estuary throughout the year (Ingram, 2000; Englund et al., 2008). However, little is

known about the absolute abundance and distribution of the dolphins that inhabits all around

the Irish coast. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has been collecting sighting records

and images of bottlenose dolphins suitable for photo-identification since 2005, showing that

this population is highly mobile with re-sightings of the same individuals reported all around

the Irish coast, including northern Ireland (O´Brien et al., 2009) with some individuals also

reported from Scotland and England (Ryan et al., 2010; Robinson et al., 2012). The research

objectives of this study are to: 1. Characterize the distribution of sightings of bottlenose

dolphins around the entire Irish coast 2. Provide information of the distribution and

movement of individual recognizable dolphins using multi-site, mark-recapture analyses

through photo-identification techniques. 3. Estimate the abundance of the coastal population

of bottlenose dolphins using Irish waters.


Spatial genetic structure of habitat-forming species: implications for the design and

management of Marine Protected Areas from the North Catalan Sea

Elisabet Nebot Colomer (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Jean-Baptiste Ledoux

Thesis Institute: Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC)

ABSTRACT - Coastal marine ecosystems are threatened by global change. The implementation

of networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is required to buffer those effects. Multispecies

population genetics studies should improve our understanding regarding the functioning of

MPAs. Here, we analysed the spatial genetic structure and underlying processes and factors

for the red coral, Corallium rubrum, from a local to a regional scale (<1 to 46 km), in two MPAs

from the Catalan sea. We compared these results with those previously obtained for another

octocoral, Paramuricea clavata, over the same area. Differences in the genetic structure

between the two species, which likely resulted from a differential impact of connectivity and

genetic drift were revealed allowing us to suggest conservation policies at different spatial

scales. At regional scale, the connectivity estimates for P. clavata supported the need to

consider the two MPAs as an effective network. At local scale, the localities harbouring

genetically isolated populations of C. rubrum can be targeted for restoration actions. While

further research is needed, this first multispecific study should help to enhance the

management of the two MPAs and accordingly to improve the conservation of Mediterranean

biodiversity.

Keywords: Conservation biology, Network of MPAs, multispecies approach, Connectivity,

Genetic drift, Corallium rubrum, Paramuricea clavata.


Maternal effects on oocyte dynamic and production in European hake

Cristina Garcia Fernandez (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Fran Saborido-Rey

Thesis Institute: Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC)-Vigo

ABSTRACT - The maternal effects and the oocyte dynamic are analysed in the Southern Stock

of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) to compare spawning performance between the

two observed spawning seasons and better understand reproductive potential dynamics in

this stock. The complex Oocyte Packing Density method (OPD) has been used to analyse the

oocyte dynamic in a temporal scale and by ovary phase; while five different maternal

attributes have been used to investigate the maternal effects on six egg traits as proxy to egg

productivity and offspring quality. Our results show that oocyte recruitment for the current

breeding season initiates well before secondary growth stage, during the 80-90 µm

previtellogenic oocyte stage. This allows estimating an index of potential fecundity and even

potentially to estimate the number of batches to be produced. Maternal effects showed

differences between spawning seasons in terms of productivity and egg quality. Although

maternal effects were relative weak, it indicates that the current truncated demography may

have produced a reduction in stock reproductive potential and hence affecting recruitment

and fisheries sustainability.



Session 4

Tuesday 27 June 2017, 15.30 – 17.00



Emma Cartuyvels *

Lea Sielhorst

Lisanne Annemarie van den Bogaart *

Elena Pagter *

Camille Fossano *


A picture tells a thousand birds: technological approaches to improving precision in

seabird population censuses

Emma Cartuyvels (Belgium) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Ian O'Connor

Thesis Institute: Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

ABSTRACT - Bird counts have traditionally been carried out as ground-based counts or aerial

surveys. Over the last decade counting birds with drones has slowly gained more ground as

an alternative to these methods, especially for detecting seabirds. Drones detect birds that

are overlooked by ground-based counts and provide high quality images at a fraction of the

cost and risk of aerial surveys. Ground-based counts, aerial and drone surveys that were

counted manually or automatically were compared for accuracy and precision in this study.

Using images from drone surveys was found to improve manual count precision. For Northern

gannets (Morus bassanus), drone imagery is of such high quality that it allows Apparently

Occupied Nests to be counted. This is the preferred counting unit but was indistinguishable

on pictures taken by aerial surveys. Automated counting of the birds using ImageJ as

presented in this thesis has a comparable level of precision to manual counts, but lacks

accuracy. Therefore, the best method at present is to manually count birds from images

obtained by drones.


Elucidating the impact of sea ice properties on the microbial community structure

in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice

Lea Sielhorst (Germany) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Anya Waie

Thesis Institute: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine

Research

ABSTRACT - Over the 21st century the ecosystems in both Polar Regions are facing significant

change. These changes may affect the spatio-temporal dynamics of sea ice, such as the

duration of melt and freeze periods and the inner structure, long before affecting the areal

sea ice coverage in a region. Sea ice microbial communities (bacteria and protists) are likely to

respond strongly to dynamic changes in sea ice, with repercussions on productivity, nutrient

cycling and other ecosystem functions. Their relationship with sea ice habitat properties as

well as their own spatio-temporal dynamics and inter-relationships, however, are barely

understood. This hampers the ability to predict the impact of environmental change on the

microbial system and associated ecosystem functions. This Master thesis project aims at

characterising the structure of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice microbial communities, their

relationships with habitat properties, and patterns of inter-action and co-existence between

taxa in a set of selected sea ice and under ice samples. In this Master project next generation

sequencing (NGS) was used for molecular based characterisation of microbial communities in

a set of selected samples collected in the Weddle Sea and the Fram Strait. Overall the

approach includes the extraction of genomic DNA from the samples, amplification of the V4

region of the 18S rDNA, sequencing of the 18S rDNA amplicons via Illumina-sequencing using

the MiSeq-sequencer of the section, taxonomic annotation of sequences using an established

annotation pipeline and finally multivariate statistical analyses in order to elucidate the impact

of variable sea ice habitat properties on microbial community composition.


Variations in bioerosion rates of different Caribbean excavating sponge species

Lisanne Annemarie van den Bogaart (Netherlands) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Didier Debakker

Thesis Institute: Wageningen University and Research Centre

ABSTRACT - Coral reefs are highly productive and biologically diverse marine ecosystems,

providing important ecological and economic services. The 3D-structure and shape of coral

reefs relies on the net accumulation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a function of the balance

between reef construction and destruction. Bioerosion by excavating sponges contributes

significantly to reef destruction, particularly in the Caribbean. Total erosion rates were

quantified for six common Caribbean boring sponge species: Cliona aprica, Cliona caribbaea,

Myrmekioderma rea, Siphonodictyon sp., Cliona sp.-“amber papillae”, and Cliona laticavicola.

Sponges contribute to erosion both chemically and mechanically. Chemical erosion was

determined from increase in alkalinity of the experimental water in a newly developed flow-

through system, mechanical erosion was estimated from the amount of CaCO3 chips

produced by the sponges in a long-term experiment. Bioerosion rates for these species were

1.4, 1.9, 2.0, 3.6, 4.7 and 8.0 kg CaCO3 m-2 year-1, respectively. The obtained numbers were

within range of reported erosion rates and close to recorded coral calcification rates,

suggesting that sponge bioerosion alone could reach critical levels in areas heavily invaded by

boring sponges, resulting in net destruction of the reef. These results contribute to a better

understanding of sponge bioerosion, essential for proper reef management.


Quantifying microplastics in subtidal sediments: The influence of sampling

equipment and separation methodologies

Elena Pagter (United States) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Róisín Nash

Thesis Institute: Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

ABSTRACT - Microplastics, a marine pollutant, are regarded as having a universal distribution,

despite this, methodological comparison studies of benthic sampling tools for subtidal marine

sediments are lacking. Extraction methods for microplastics present in sediments similarly

have not been examined. This study addresses that knowledge gap by comparing sampling

(Van Veen grab, box corer, gravity corer) tools and density separation (elutriation, sodium

chloride solution, sodium tungstate dihydrate solution) methods. Subtidal sediment was

collected using these tools and analyses were performed using the density separation

techniques. No statistically significant differences were found between microplastic

concentrations extracted for any of the sampling tools. However, there were significant

differences between the density separation methods using sodium tungstate dihydrate and

sodium chloride solution (p=0.004) and the elutriation method (p=0.000097). This study

provides evidence that the all sampling tools are suitable and proficient to determine the

abundance of microplastics in sediments. A new and feasible option for dense liquid

separation, sodium tungstate dihydrate, to determine the abundance of microplastics in

subtidal marine sediments was shown. These results allow for more comparability and quality

assurance between future surveys and provide suggestions to further improve comparability

where the aim is to determine the abundance of microplastics in sediments.


Evaluation of macrobenthic community in the reference site for the future

monitoring of the offshore wind farm Norther in the Belgian Part of the North Sea

Camille Fossano (France) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Ulrike Braeckman, Tom Moens, Liesbet

Colson

Thesis Institute: Gent University, Marine Biology Research Group

ABSTRACT - Offshore wind farms (OWFs) are developing since 2008 in Belgium and are

expected to meet the 43% of renewable energy produced by OWFs for the Belgian 2020

targets. However, the growing development of OWFs is producing a physical disturbance to

the seabed, which could potentially affect marine mammals, birds, macrobenthic and

epibenthic communities. Prior to the obtention of an environmental permit, a mandatory

assessment and monitoring of the potential impacts on the marine environment, including the

communities living in the sediments is carried out. In this study, macrobenthic samples were

collected before the construction of about 300 turbines in Norther area and in its assigned

reference area, to evaluate whether it is a satisfying reference site for applying a Before After

Control Impact monitoring strategy. No significant difference between the two locations was

observed except in terms of community structure and a slightly larger diversity has been

observed in the FAR samples, thus the reference area is considered as relevant. This study

constitutes a baseline for the evaluation of impact of natural and human induced effects

related to the presence of OWFs on the macrobenthos.


Session 5

Wednesday 28 June 2017, 9.00 – 10.30



Luz Amadei Martinez *

Paula Otalora

Mariana Filipa Pereira Silva

Gerardo Perez del Molino *


Laboratory study on the interactions between dead discarded flatfish, epibenthic

scavengers and infaunal communities

Luz Amadei Martinez (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Jochen Depestele

Thesis Institute: Institute for agricultural and fisheries research

(ILVO)

ABSTRACT - In 2013, the European Commission established the landing obligation in the

Common Fisheries Policy, which prohibits beam trawl fisheries to discard (throw overboard)

quota-regulated fish species. A reduction of the availability of discards in the sea floor

ecosystem can have an impact on benthic scavengers due to a reduction of their feeding

opportunities. This study assessed the importance of discards for infaunal communities and

key scavenger species of the North Sea considering competition, predation, feeding

metabolism and presence of alternative food sources. Four key epibenthic scavengers

(Diogenes pugilator, Liocarcinus holsatus, Pagurus bernhardus and Asterias rubens) and two

common discarded flatfish (Pleuronectes platessa and Limanda limanda) were used in a series

of laboratory experiments. The results highlighted a significant effect of discards and

epibenthic scavengers on infaunal communities. In addition, differences on the feeding

metabolism and on the importance of the discards as a food source of two benthic scavenger

species were detected. Our findings identified certain scavenger species that are feeding more

prominently on discards, and as such, these species could be stronger impacted by the discard

ban.


Diversity and distribution of electricity-generating cable bacteria in marine

sediments

Paula Otalora (Colombia) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Filip Meysman, Jeanine Geelhoed

Thesis Institute: Ugent

ABSTRACT - Very recently, long filamentous so-called “cable bacteria” have been discovered

in marine sediments that are able to generate and mediate the transport of electrons across

centimeter-scale distances. These electrogenic bacteria make that the ocean floor operates

like a natural battery, and thus cable bacteria have an enormous potential for novel bio-

electric applications. Cable bacteria belong to the family Desulfobulbaceae and have been

identified in sulphide-rich coastal environments. Because cable bacteria have only been

recently discovered, they remain enigmatic in many aspects. The goal of this project is to gain

a better understanding of their distribution in the natural environment (both in time and in

space) as well as their diversity (genotypic differences between sites).


Investigating the social sounds of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

from Southern Africa

Mariana Filipa Pereira Silva (Portugal) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Tess Gridley

Thesis Institute: Sea Search Africa - 4 Bath Road, Muizenberg, Cape

Town, South Africa

ABSTRACT - Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are famous for their complex song,

produced by males which changes over time and is culturally transmitted. Moreover, both

sexes produce social and feeding sounds used during several interactions and are likely to be

involved in coordinating behavior. This study investigated the acoustic behavior of feeding

‘super groups’ of humpback whales (e.g. aggregations of over 20 animals observed in tight

formation on the west coast of South Africa as well acoustic data collected from smaller

groups during opportunistic encounters. Four distinct and structurally stable call types were

identified, based on aural and spectrographic features and supported by Classification and

Regression Trees (CART). Common sound types such as ‘wop’ and ‘grumble’ contributed to a

large proportion (> 30%) of the repertoire. Stereotyped sounds were arranged into sequences

and repeated within encounters and over years, adding extra complexity to the repertoire.

However, to date the function of these calls is ambiguous. Average sound production rate

from super groups was 9 (±SD 13.68) sounds per minute. Over recent years, the inter-annual

occurrence of these ‘super groups’ has become predictable providing future opportunity to

study acoustic communication in this species.


Analysis of the Gelidium corneum exploitation in the Asturian coast (North of Spain)

Gerardo Perez del Molino (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Jose Rico

Thesis Institute: Oviedo's University

ABSTRACT - Gelidium corneum as an agarophyte seaweed, is an appreciated resource due to

the increasing demand of agar in different fields of science. Its exploitation is made by two

different methods, direct plucking from the sea bottom by divers and collection of cast

seaweed from the beach. There are not previous studies about the sustainability of this

seaweed fishery in the Asturian coast, which is necessary to ensure a proper management of

the resource. Statistics data from the CEP (Centro de Experimentación Pesquera), information

from interviews of different people working in different areas of the sector and sustainability

indicators, were used to understand the status of the fishery. Considering different points of

view to evaluate it and propose measures to improve the management of Gelidium

exploitation.



Session 6

Wednesday 28 June 2017, 11.00 – 12.30



Jens Boyen *

Marie Robberecht *

Pelayo Menendez

Maria Arpa *


Resolving taxonomic status and population structuring of the cryptic species

complex Atlantic seabob shrimp (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) for sustainable fishery

management in the Guianan Ecoregion

Jens Boyen (Belgium) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Marleen De Troch, Thomas Kerkhove

Thesis Institute: Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University

ABSTRACT - The Atlantic seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) is a commercially

important penaeid shrimp occurring in the coastal waters of the tropical Western Atlantic. In

2011, the Surinamese industrial fishery on this species was awarded the Marine Stewardship

Council (MSC) certification for its efforts in improving sustainability. Nevertheless, important

knowledge on the phylogenetics and population structure of the seabob shrimp on the

northern coast of South America is still lacking. Applying a Bayesian multilocus coalescent

method with two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes, additional proof was provided for the

existence of two and potentially even three cryptic species of seabob shrimp occurring

sympatric in the area, with one species (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri sensu stricto) being largely

dominant. Moreover, the genetic population structuring of the latter species was investigated

using two mitochondrial markers. These results documented a single continuous stock

extending from Guyana to Pará State, Brazil, whereby the Orinoco and Amazon freshwater

outflows act as barriers limiting gene flow to neighbouring populations. As there are no two

separate stocks in Surinamese and Guyanese waters, the outcome of this study requests to

further improve the sustainable management of the Atlantic seabob shrimp fishery.


Assessing the sustainability of wild caught fish products served at Ghent University:

current situation and trends

Marie Robberecht (Belgium) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Francesca Pasotti

Thesis Institute: Ghent University/Marbiol

ABSTRACT - In 2012, Ghent University set up the Ghent University Seafood Project (GUSS) to

evaluate the ecological sustainability of seafood purchasing at the university and to set goals

to adopt better buying practices in the future. The evaluation of the resto’s purchases, made

in 2012 as start of the GUSS have urged the catering office to change their purchasing policy

and to adapt these simple and straightforward criteria. These changes towards more

sustainability were measured with a new evaluation of the sustainability of the wild caught

seafood offer in 2016. Although more MSC certified fish is purchased by the university in 2016,

the menu offer, in terms of fish species and sustainability, is very similar to the situation in

2012. There are still some bad species on the menu, like Cape hake (Merluccius spp.). In reality,

there is probably a bigger change towards more sustainability of the seafood offer of the

restaurants of Ghent University than what was observed in the thesis. The sustainability

assessments of the present study were carried out using the ILVO methodology, which was

stricter and gave a more precise score to the products than evaluations of the products in

2012.


Combined effect of temperature and nitrate on the antioxidant response and the

behaviour of invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Pelayo Menendez (Spain) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Marta I. Sánchez

Thesis Institute: Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU) / Estación

Biológica de Doñana-CSIC

ABSTRACT - Biological invasions pose a significant threat to the conservation of biodiversity,

but our mechanistic understanding of the determinants of invasion success is still scant. Here

we used a global invasive crayfish species, the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), to

test how variations in temperature and nutrient pollution will affect its invasive success.

Crayfish individuals were exposed individually to two temperature and nutrient levels within

the values reported in its current distributional range, and we used changes in their foraging

behaviour and enzymes of oxidative stress as indicators of crayfish health. If the

environmental conditions tested will promote the crayfish invasion success, we expect an

increase in its foraging efficacy and a neutral effect on the concentration of enzymes of

oxidative stress. Last, if the experimental conditions are not harmful for the crayfish, we

expect that alterations in enzymes of oxidative stress if occur will not affect their foraging

efficacy.


Syngnathids of the Atlantic Islands National Park: Description, habitat and isotopic

profile

Maria Arpa (Spain) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Miquel Planas

Thesis Institute: IIM-CSIC Vigo (Instituto de Investigaciones

marinas-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones científicas de Vigo)

ABSTRACT - Wild populations of Syngnathids (seahorses, pipefishes, pipehorses and

seadragons) are suffering a progressive decline due to habitat loss/ degradation, overfishing,

by-catch and trade. Furthermore, due to the scarce knowledge on their biology and ecology,

there is the need of further research to assess their risk of population’s regression and to

implement efficient conservation initiatives. Syngnathids are vulnerable due to several

biological and ecological features. One of them is related to their specialized diet, which

restricts their distribution and makes them more sensitive to changes in habitat degradation

and resources availability. The main objective of this study was the identification and

characterization of Syngnathid populations and their habitats in Cíes Islands, included in the

Atlantic islands National Park (NW Spain). The information acquired was based on the

meristics, size, sex, reproduction and isotopic profiles of the Syngnathids as well as the general

characteristics of their habitat (associated macroalgal communities and substrates). The

pipefish Syngnathus acus and the seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus were found in Cíes Islands

in sheltered shallow waters associated to macroalgae in rocky areas surrounded by sandy

bottoms. The large size of S. acus and the absence of medium-small individuals suggest that

Cíes Islands could be an important breeding area for this species. The results on isotopic

profiles indicate that the diet of the Syngnathids is mainly determined by the habitat type and,

hence, by the food sources available rather than a consequence of specific inter-population

differences. Finally, this study allowed the selection of three sites for intensively study during

the next two years of the “Proyecto Hippoparques”.



Session 7

Wednesday 28 June 2017, 13.30 – 15.00



Stephan Bruns *

Joaquim Antoni Pla Resina

Nina Schiettekatte *

Laure Castaing *


Inshore habitat preferences among elasmobranchs in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Stephan Bruns (Germany) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Aaron Henderson


ABSTRACT - The investigation of species-specific habitat preference can provide a basis for

successful conservation effort. Several policies are used to secure protection for

elasmobranchs, based on the gained knowledge, new approaches to design marine protected

areas (MPAs) linked to elasmobranchs conservation can be implemented. The present study

examined elasmobranch abundance, diversity and habitat use with baited remote underwater

video stations (BRUVS) in the Turks and Caicos Islands over a two year period. Habitats

including the coral reef towards the open ocean and the relatively sheltered sandflats. Overall,

eight elasmobranch species, six shark species and two batoids of the order Myliobatiformes

were recorded. Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) and nurse shark (Ginglymostoma

cirratum) were the most abundant species (>75% elasmobranch abundance). Results showed

a greater abundance in the coral reef (1.03 elasmobranchs*h -1), in compare with the

sandflats (0.46 elasmobranchs*hr-1). Analyses estimated difference in pattern of habitat use

between species, where different species show a preference for one habitat type and others

are more evenly distributed. The two areas where coral reef and sandflats interfaced

displayed the greatest diversity and abundance. The effectiveness of MPAs is more likely to

benefit local elasmobranch population, if they are designed to encompass different habitat

types.


Evaluation of the Climate Change, Marine and Terrestrial Sustainable Development

Goals in Island Biosphere Reserves

Joaquim Antoni Pla Resina (Spain) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Ricardo Haroun Tabraue

Thesis Institute: Research Institute ECOAQUA, University of Las

Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)

ABSTRACT - The Biosphere Reserves are, according to UNESCO, "special places for testing

interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions

between social and ecological systems". The study will focus in the Island Biosphere Reserves

of the world, evaluating the state of 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in them:

Climate Change, Marine and Terrestrial goals. Those 17 goals are set by the UN to monitor

sustainable development in the world until 2030. Eventually, the study will create a protocol

for future evaluations.


Human influence on the regional distribution of bioerosion by parrotfish in New

Caledonian reefs: a matter of size

Nina Schiettekatte (Belgium) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: David Mouillot

Thesis Institute: UMR 9190 MARBEC

ABSTRACT - Bioerosion by parrotfish plays a key role in coral reef ecosystems. Yet, precise

bioerosion rate estimation and regional scale assessment of its distribution are lacking. In this

study, the effect of fish body size on bioerosion rates was investigated through field

observations. Furthermore, the distribution of bioerosion rates was quantified and predicted

across New Caledonian reefs, combining available visual census data with environmental,

anthropogenic and management variables. Additionally, the effectivity of MPAs was

investigated and compared to both fished and pristine reefs and finally, the role of species

richness as a proxy for functioning was questioned. This study showed that fish body size had

a strong non-linear effect on bioerosion rates, which has implications for its vulnerability to

fishing. Indeed, we found proximity to humans to be the main predictor of bioerosion, with

functional extinction in highly impacted reefs. Large MPAs had a positive effect on bioerosion,

while small MPAs provide little protection and both do not achieve pristine benchmark rates.

Moreover, only pristine reefs sustained a size structure with a high proportion of large

parrotfish. Generally, a strong mismatch between species richness and function was found,

implying that conservation management should re-evaluate focus on protecting the

indispensable large-sized parrotfish.


Asymmetrical larval dispersal: what are the implications for conversation?

Laure Castaing (France) - June

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Frédéric Guichard, Laure Mousseau

Thesis Institute: McGill University

ABSTRACT - Comprehension of spatial distribution and structure of marine population is a key

tool to optimize the design of marine protected areas. Marine populations are usually

structured as metapopulation. The connection between sub-populations depends on the

exchanges of individuals, and dispersal is an important notion in population connectivity. As

many organisms are sessile, a significant source of dispersal is the larval dispersal. The pelagic

larval duration (PLD) varies over a broad range from hours to months. During this time larvae

are transported and influenced by oceanographic features. The aim of this project is to study

the impact of directionally biased dispersal, due to current, on persistence of marine

organisms and further on the design of marine protected areas. One of the common

assumptions is that asymmetry will increase with the PLD and that longer PLD will lead to

greater dispersal distance. Our results, obtained with different models, showed that dispersal

distance is not increased, nor the asymmetry when PLD is increased, in eddies formation

areas. In most of the cases persistence is overestimated in symmetrical dispersal compared to

asymmetrical dispersal (due to the importance of connectivity on persistence). However in

some cases (large network of reserves) current has a beneficial impact on persistence due to

increased connections among the reserves. Our results also present insight for dispersal

pattern in eddy formation areas.



Session 8

Wednesday 28 June 2017, 15.30 – 17.00



Maria del Carmen Blanco Fernandez

Shraveena Venkatesh *

Susann Lüneburg

Eleonore Rivet *


Oceanographic traits driving genetic diversity and structure of NE Atlantic seaweeds

Maria del Carmen Blanco Fernandez (Spain) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Jorge Assis

Thesis Institute: Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve

ABSTRACT - Present distribution and intraspecific diversity of marine species are shaped by

ongoing geographical barriers, which drift different populations apart, as well as by past

conditions such as temperature variations. Different intraspecific diversity is expected from

different species depending on their dispersal capacities: a species with low dispersal capacity

will be expected to be highly diverse, in contrast with those of higher dispersion range. The

aim of this master thesis is to test whether the distribution and intraspecific diversity of North

Atlantic marine species are affected by the past range shifts, which would be indicated by

similar genetic patterns independently of the dispersal capacities of the species; or rather by

strong oceanographic barriers, in which case, a difference between different species

depending on their dispersal characteristics would be observed.


Comparative Microanatomy of the Gravid Oviduct in Egg-laying and Live-bearing

Sharks

Shraveena Venkatesh (India) - June



ABSTRACT - Sharks show varying reproductive strategies but the female reproductive tracts of

all these species show the same basic structure with oviducts modified to form oviducal

glands, isthmuses and uteri. Oviducts from eight specimens of different maturities of the

aplacental viviparous species, Squalus acanthias and three gravid specimens of the oviparous

species, Scyliorhinus canicula were sectioned, processed, stained and compared. The anterior

oviducts of the two species show a similar structure. The isthmus of S. acanthias was also

described. Sections of the uterus, of this species at different stages of maturity show changes

in surface area, extent of vascular supply and the presence of large granular secretory cells.

The uterus of S. canicula differs from the former in complexity of epithelial folding, degree of

vascularization and secretory products. Gravid uteri of both species are structurally specialized

for their respective purposes, to accommodate embryos and facilitate the processes that

contribute to their growth and development.


The invasive distribution of Lionfish in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico inferred

from ecological niche modelling

Susann Lüneburg (Germany) - August

Promotor(s) & Supervisor: Jorge Assis

Thesis Institute: Universidade do Algarve

ABSTRACT - Invasive species are known to fill empty niches and often outcompete native

species, changing trophic interaction and generating environmental and economic costs. The

lionfish Pterosis volitans and Pterosis miles have been an invasive species in the Caribbean Sea

and the Gulf of Mexico for several years. Available literature will be systematically investigated

for occurrence data of these species and the determination of influencing factors on

distribution patterns in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Ecological niche modelling and

database integration in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) will be used to identify the

spatial invasive range of the species. This study will assess, if lionfish are likely to spread

further outside the Caribbean and if their ecological niche is yet fully occupied.


Comparative microanatomy of the male genital ducts in sharks with different

reproductive modes

Eleonore Rivet (France) - June



ABSTRACT - Elasmobranchs have developed many reproductive adaptations over their million

years of existence. Sharks can display different modes of reproduction impacting the

microanatomy of female genital ducts, modified to carry embryos with or without placenta or

lay eggs. The aim of this study is to determine if such specific adaptations to the reproductive

mode can also be found in males. It is hypothesized that no major differences will be observed,

as the male reproductive system has the main function to produce sperm. The subjects of this

study were the aplacentally viviparous spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), the oviparous

blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus) and the placentally viviparous milk shark

(Rhizoprionodon acutus). The two first species were caught during an opportunistic survey in

the Celtic sea, while the last one was sampled off the coast of Oman. The tissues were

processed following histological and histochemical techniques. Microscopic observations of

reproductive tract cross sections didn’t show major dissimilarities between these three

species. From these results, it can be concluded that the male genital ducts of sharks do not

present any particular adaptation to their reproductive mode, they all ensure the production

and delivery of sperm to the female in the same way.


Following the thesis defenses online

The EMBC+ thesis event is broadcasted online through a streaming video channel.

In order to follow this channel navigate to the EMBC+ website at http://www.embcplus.org

and choose the option ‘follow thesis defense life’ on the front page of the website.

Shortly after the defense each presentation will also be available in a streaming video format.

Details about this are available in the “EMBC Media Centre” on the website.

http://www.embcplus.org/


EMBC+ Cohort 2015-2017

Amadei Martinez Luz

o Nationality: Spain

o EMBC+ Universities: Ghent - Galway

o Contact: [email protected]

o Thesis Presentation: Session 5

Arpa Maria


o EMBC+ Universities: Algarve - Oviedo



Benhemma-Le Gall Aude

o Nationality: France

o EMBC+ Universities: Algarve - Galway



Blanco Fernandez Maria del Carmen


o EMBC+ Universities: Ghent - Oviedo



Boulanger Emilie

o Nationality: Belgium




Boyen Jens





Bruns Stephan

o Nationality: Germany




Cartuyvels Emma





Castaing Laure


o EMBC+ Universities: Algarve - Paris




Delva Soria


o EMBC+ Universities: Ghent - Paris



Fossano Camille





Garcia Fernandez Cristina





Goble Amanda

o Nationality: United States




Lüneburg Susann





Menendez Pelayo





Nebot Colomer Elisabet





Noonan Tara

o Nationality: Ireland




Otalora Paula

o Nationality: Colombia





Pagter Elena

o Nationality: United States




Pereira Silva Mariana Filipa

o Nationality: Portugal




Perez del Molino Gerardo





Perez Tadeo Maria





Pla Resina Joaquim Antoni





Rivet Eleonore





Robberecht Marie





Salmina Simone

o Nationality: Austria




Schiettekatte Nina






Sielhorst Lea


o EMBC+ Universities: Bremen - Oviedo



Sotomayor Garcia Ana





van den Bogaart Lisanne Annemarie

o Nationality: Netherlands




Venkatesh Shraveena

o Nationality: India




Vialcho Miranda Carlota





Wouters Julia Magdalena

o Nationality: Switzerland





Digital Objects Cohort 2016 – 2018

During the EMBC+ thesis event first year students of the Master Programme will present their

thesis by means of digital objects. These digital objects will, after the event, be available on

the website.

From this year onwards you can also rate the digital objects. Based on this rating the best

Digital Object will be selected and awarded during the graduation ceremony. All students and

supervisors present at the event can rate the digital objects by using a personal code which

will be attached to the name tag.

Digital objects can be consulted during coffee and lunch breaks, as well as through the

following url: http://do.embcplus.org

Cani Alessandra: Evaluating the effectiveness of conservation strategies for cetaceans

in Galway, Ireland (GMIT - Ireland)

Serrano Diana: Testing different marine protection scenarios in Portugal (CCMAR -

Portugal)

Juszkiewicz Aleksandra: Effects of ocean acidification in Galapagos marine organisms:

A multispecies study using microcosms (ESPOL, Galapagos Marine Research and

Exploration Program - Galapagos, Ecuador)

Diem Anna: Microplastic Transfer in Marine Foodwebs (University of Gent -

Krijgslaan281 S8 - Belgium)

Paulo Maria: Effects of ocean acidification on the luminescence processes of a deep-

sea shark (Etmopterus spinax) (University of Lisbon - Portugal)

Jungmann Luana: Fishers perception towards marine renewable energies in Chile

(Marine conservation Center. University pontifica del Chile - Chile)

Cyr Heather: The impacts of longline fishing on deep-water sponge grounds in the

Azores (University of the Azores - Portugal)

Seguy Léopold: Socioeconomic Assessment of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – The Azores Case

Study (MARE Azores/CCMAR Algarve - Portugal)

Molloy Eoin: Spatial distribution of the Antarctic toothfish in the Weddell Sea

(Antarctica) (Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research

- Germany)

Frade Duarte: Endemic or cosmopolitan? Distribution and dispersal of Ruppia species

in the Macaronesian islands (CCMAR and University of Algarve - Portugal)

Piango Shanice: Genetic and geographic variation in chemical defenses in the brown

seaweed Lobophora (Ghent University - Belgium)

Wright Hannah: Exploration of Deep-Sea Macrofaunal Community Assemblages in the

Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, Central Pacific Abyss (UGent - Belgium)

Stolpe Christian: Dynamics of the brown seaweeds Lobophora in coral reefs:

interactions between recruitment, grazing and competition (Ghent University,

Phycology Research Group - Belgium)

Burtonshaw Belinda Joyce Jutta: Temporal and spatial patterns of invertebrate epi-

and hyperbenthos in mangrove habitats and coastal mudflats with a focus on

Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Ghent University / ILVO /Anton de Kom University of Suriname

- Suriname)

http://do.embcplus.org/


Platjouw Emiel: Direct and indirect response to herbivore attack in seagrasses (Centro

de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR) - Portugal)

Perché Sarah: The benthic habitat status under increasing fishery pressure (Flanders

research institute for agriculture, fisheries and food - Belgium)

Kriegl Michael: Exploring artisanal fishers intentions towards marine conservation

(Center for Marine Conservation, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile - Chile)

Verbeek Jan: Improving estimates of Total Reproductive Output (TRO) of target

species to evaluate the benefits of MPA networks for conservation and fisheries yield

(Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (ECIM) - Chile)

Geldhof Ruben: Coastbusters: seagrasses and seaweeds as environmental engineers

for ecological coastal defence along the Belgian coast (Ghent University - Belgium)

Dupont de Dinechin Jean: No thesis topic submitted

Vissenaekens Elise: Modelling the Journey of Jellyfish in the North Sea (Royal Belgian

institute of natural sciences - Belgium)

Fernández Bejarano Salvador Jesús: Citizen Science to assess the conservation status

of marine forests in SE Iberian peninsula (Center of Marine Sciences - Portugal)

Otero Sabio Cristina: Passive Acoustic Monitoring studies from offshore Irish water

collected during the Cetaceans on the Frontier Surveys 1-6 (GMIT - Ireland)

Bakkar Tarek: The mangrove connection - outreach of mangrove-derived organic

matter into coastal reefs (Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung GmbH,

University of Bremen - Germany (Institute, Lab, Writing) and Brazil (Sampling))

Steinmann Nuri Max: Bioremediation in coastal aquaculture (ZMT Bremen - Germany

& Columbia or Portugal)

Aussage Josephine: Modelling nurturant behavioural responses toward dead

conspecifics in free-ranging cetaceans (CIIMAR-Madeira / Oceanic Observatory of

Madeira - Madeira Island, Portugal)

Wonneberger Elena: Cetacean bycatch in artisanal fisheries in Gorontalo, northern

Sulawesi: An assessment using fisher interviews (CETASI - Indonesia)

Scheel Maria: Comparative transcriptomic analysis of thermal stress responses in key

Atlantic and Arctic zooplankton grazers (CCMAR - Portugal)

Sousa Pereira João Miguel: Plastic ingestion by commercial fish of contrasting ecology

off the Azores region (Department Of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the

Azores - Portugal)

Savinelli Beatrice: Trophic web and presence of pollutants in Djibouti, Horn of Africa

(University of Insubria - Italy)

Heimrich Annika Fiona: Vocalization of bearded seals and its influence on the

soundscape and communication space of other marine mammals within the Arctic.

(Department of Biology, University of Victoria - Canada)

Santana Bernaldo de Quirós Yaiza: Biodiversity and benthic megafaunal communities

inhabiting the Formigas Bank (NE Azores) (University of Açores - Portugal)

Hamelinck Michiel: Abundance and temporal variability of Elasmobranch species in

Mozambique (Zavora Marine Lab - Mozambique)

Barile Cynthia: Habitat modelling of offshore dolphin species (Galway-Mayo Institute

of Technology - Ireland)


Ferreira Catarina Alexandra: Sustainable artisanal fisheries under risk - is the ban

working for the Chilean abalone Concholepas concholepas? (Estación Costera de

Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile - Chile)

Serrano Gabriel: Otolith shape variability in anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) and its

potential application to age estimation (Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology -

Ireland)

Machado Rodrigo: Accidental by-catch of sea turtles in the Portuguese surface

longline fishery (University of the Azores - Portugal)

Silva Raquel: Marine conservation: algal forests at their southern limit. (CCMAR -

Portugal)

Aristegui Ezquibela Mikel: Effects of mesh size on gillnet selectivity in the hake fishery

to the South and West of Ireland in ICES areas VIIb, g and j (Galway-Mayo Institute of

Technology - Ireland)

van den Bosch Merijn: Optimal foraging strategy of central place foragers (Larus unkn.)

in a rapidly changing environment (Ugent - Belgium)

Moura da Vinha Paula Beatriz: Evaluating the Ecological Status of Cold-Water Corals

in the Cassidaigne Canyon, Western Mediterranean Sea (Ifremer - Institut français de

recherche pour l''exploitation de la mer - France)

Márquez Lidia: What does home mean to you?- Potential climate refugees in French

Polynesia (University of Oviedo - Spain)

Petereit Jessica: behavioural analysis of caribbean reef sharks in response to noises

(University of west florida - America)

Simoes Ricardo: Design optimization of a marine protected area network in Portugal

(University of Algarve - Portugal)

Pérez Pérez Rubén: Quantification of sea turtle nesting activity on an island with

limited effort: The case of São Tomé island (Universidade do Algarve/CCMAR - Sao

Tome/Portugal)

Schnebert Simon: Investigating G protein-coupled receptor function in vivo using the

olfactory system of a fish as a model. (CCMar - Portugal)

Gaspar Madalena: Food web study of the Atlantic seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus

kroyeri in the coastal mangroves and mud flats of Suriname, using stable isotope and

fatty acid analysis (Ghent University - Belgium)

Deconinck Dumas: Quantification of eel population density through eDNA (University

of Oviedo - Spain)

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EMBC+ Thesis defense 2017 - EMBC+ Master Programme · Thesis defense EMBC+ 27-28-29 June 2017 –...

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