BAS Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation
Lead Research Organisation:
NERC British Antarctic Survey
Abstract
This programme aims to understand how past, present and future environmental change has and will affect polar biodiversity both on land and in the ocean, and how life adapts to extreme polar conditions. Our research outcomes will provide deep insight into the impact of environmental change on the natural world, make a strong contribution to future conservation measures, and generate new and innovative areas of research that have potential societal benefits. Our team has two research groups, Biodiversity and Adaptations. The Biodiversity group focuses its investigations on mapping species distributions, how they relate to current and past environments and how this information can be used to predict future distributions under environmental change. The Adaptations group investigates adaptations to extreme polar conditions, from the molecular level through physiology to ecology and, using experimental approaches, how these may affect species abilities to adapt under future change scenarios. Both groups work together towards the same aim: to develop a holistic picture of future patterns of biodiversity in a changing world.
Organisations
- NERC British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Southampton, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- University of Portsmouth (Collaboration)
- University of Malaya, Malaysia (Collaboration)
- Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- University of Canterbury (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Lloyd Samuel Peck (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Abneuf M
(2016)
Antimicrobial activity of microfungi from maritime Antarctic soil
in Czech Polar Reports
Alves RN
(2016)
The transcriptome of metamorphosing flatfish.
in BMC genomics
Amesbury MJ
(2017)
Widespread Biological Response to Rapid Warming on the Antarctic Peninsula.
in Current biology : CB
Arango CP
(2015)
New Sericosura (Pycnogonida:Ammotheidae) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Southern Ocean.
in Zootaxa
Arivalagan J
(2017)
Insights from the Shell Proteome: Biomineralization to Adaptation.
in Molecular biology and evolution
Arivalagan J
(2016)
Shell matrix proteins of the clam, Mya truncata: Roles beyond shell formation through proteomic study.
in Marine genomics
Artigaud S
(2015)
Deciphering the molecular adaptation of the king scallop (Pecten maximus) to heat stress using transcriptomics and proteomics.
in BMC genomics
Ashford O
(2019)
A new Southern Ocean species in the remarkable and rare amphipod family Podosiridae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) questions existing systematic hypotheses
in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Ashton GV
(2017)
Response to van der Meer.
in Current biology : CB
| Description | Antarctic marine species appear less able to respond to warming of the environment than those from lower latitudes. Several Antarctic marine species lack the traditional molecular heat shock response to warming, but still have a complex stress response. Iceberg acitivity limits community development in Antarctic shallow seas and has had a stronger effect in the last 20 years at sites on the Antarctic Penninsula than previously. Small in situ warming increases growth rates of common biofouling species more than is expected from trtaditional understanding of temperature effect on biological systems. Warming of only 1C markedly alters community structure of Antarctic benthic ecosystems. Growth and development of marine species are markedly slower than expected from extrapolations from temperate and tropical related species. Antarctic sponges have remarkable seasonal metabolic plasticity and scope. The mechanisms setting temperature limits for Antarctic marine species under rapid warming are species specific. Acclimation markedly affects responses to ocean acidification. If anyone reads this could they email me on lspe@bas.ac.uk so I know it has been of use. |
| Exploitation Route | Interest from general public Important data for conservation in polar regions Inclusion in conservation horizon scans |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Education,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport |
| URL | http://www.antarctica.ac.uk |
| Description | Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation (BEA) Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation (BEA). The BEA Team comprises two groups, one of which focusses on polar terrestrial and marine biodiversity from the deep sea to the intertidal. It especially aims to identify how observed biodiversity relates to current and past environments and what impacts there have been and will be from environmental change. The second is investigating adaptations to extreme polar conditions, from the molecular level through physiology to ecology. It is also making comparisons to species and ecosystems from temperate and tropical latitudes, and has several projects aimed at improving mechanistic biological understanding that also have strong innovation elements with potential for direct societal benefit. The overall team has an integrative element aiming to model foodwebs and interactive networks in the polar-regions both on land and in the sea. Members of the team have strong impact nationally through advice to UK government committees and internationally through a very wide range of activities including membership of SCAR committees and steering groups, foreign government advisory groups and advisory/steering groups for foreign institutions and universities. Examples of this are that one of our team (Dr Melody Clark) gave verbal evidence to the UK Parliamentary Science and Technology Committee inquiry into ocean acidification. BEA team members published 46 ISI listed papers in 2015 and were cited 2646 times. This includes a special issue of Marine Genomics journal devoted to the CACHE network on production of shells in bivalve molluscs. BEA team members were Co-I or PI on over £6 million of current grant funding and support for PhD students and won a further 8 grants or PhD studentships in the year worth over £600k, including BAS ODA relevant funding, small BAS innovation grants and a NERC pathfinder grant. BEA team members currently supervise 24 PhD students. Dr JA Crame was PI and Dr S Morley was a tutor on a 4 week NERC funded training course in Svalbard on Polar field skills. Prof L. Peck was awarded an Erskine Fellowship at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand and Dr Melody Clark was awarded a DSC by Imperial College, London. The Biodiversity Group contains experts in polar terrestrial and marine biodiversity who have strong taxonomic and phylogenetic capability. They have been in the past and still are major players in large international programmes of science such as SCAR MarBIN and the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML). Its scientists have internationally strong track records in marine ecology and terrestrial biodiversity patterns, with highlights such as demonstrating the importance of plastics in changing distributions of marine species, and limiting models of past ice cap extents by showing continuous presence of biota on exposed ice-free ground for millions of years and longer. There are strong international collaborations with a wide range of countries, especially Chile, Malaysia, Italy and Norway (Svalbard). The Biodiversity Group conducts internationally leading science in the areas of biogeography and macroecology, diversity (including microbiology), community ecology, evolution, biological change (including environmental monitoring) and human impacts, and it incorporates the concept of 'past, present and future' in its science direction. It will have strong input into future conservation measures and understanding impacts of change, especially in the polar-regions. The Adaptations Group contains scientists with strong international records in investigations of how polar animals differ from those in lower latitudes from the molecular (gene) level through cellular and metabolomic to physiology and ecological levels. Its scientists have past highlights that include: showing a link between maximum animal size and water oxygen content; in describing the details of the heat shock response, which is complex and appears absent in some Antarctic species; in demonstrating Antarctic marine species are less resistant to warming conditions than lower latitude species; in showing that growth, development rate and the time needed to complete processes related to feeding are markedly slower in Antarctic marine species than would be expected from predictions of temperature effects on temperate and tropical species, and in demonstrating that in long-term experiments Antarctic urchins and brachiopods are more resistant to ocean acidification than is often generally assumed, which led to the team being invited to give evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on Ocean Acidification for the British Overseas Territories. Current research is, and future research will investigate fundamental mechanistic adaptations to cold polar conditions, such as the problems that Antarctic species appear to have in making successfully folded proteins, collaborations on genomic sequencing of Antarctic species, investigation of whether there is there a universal stress response or universal biomarkers that can be used in field evaluations, and in conducting long-term multiple stressor assessments of animal abilities to resist change. It will also make stronger links with potential industrial partners to identify and develop the value of biomolecules from organisms adapted to low temperature environments. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Cambridge University |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | THE BEA Team have strong collaborations with Cambridge University scientists in several departments including: Prof Jane Clarke (Department of Chemistry) on low temperature protein folding. Prof Alison Smith and Dr Matthew Davey (Plant Sciences) on low temperature plant and algal biodiversity including metabolic biodiversity. Dr Kathryn Lilley (Biochemistry) on proteomics of cellular components of Antarctic marine species Dr Elizabeth Harper (Earth Sciences) on several topics including molluscan and brachiopod shell structure and composition, global vriation in predation, and ocean acidification Prof Serena Best and Dr David Shepherd (Materials Science) analyses of marine invertebrate skeletons |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners have provided access to facilities, staff time and consumables to collaborastive projects. All partners have applied for and been successful in joint grant applications or PhD studentships in the last 3 years. |
| Impact | n/a |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Collaboraration with Malaysian Antarctic Programme |
| Organisation | University of Malaya |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Several small research projects and studentships have and are being conducted with the Univesiti Malaya, predominantly run through Prof P. Convey at BAS. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development of research projects, identifying science topics, assistance with collection of material, supervision of students, analysis of data and writing of manuscripts. |
| Impact | n/a |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Collaboration with Southampton University |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | BEA staff supervise PhD students and run joint science projects with the Univeristy of southampton primarily via their DTP |
| Collaborator Contribution | Student supervision, access to facilities, input to research them development, data analysis and manuscript preparation. |
| Impact | Completed doctoral theses, scientific papers |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Portsmouth University |
| Organisation | University of Portsmouth |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Teaching and research collaborations |
| Collaborator Contribution | Members of BEA staff assist with provision and use of facilities, expertise and advice, and tachning/mentoring of students |
| Impact | 2 x Masters theses |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Royal Veterinary college |
| Organisation | Royal Veterinary College (RVC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Access to expertise and facilities |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to expertise and facilities |
| Impact | none |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | University of Canterbury |
| Organisation | University of Canterbury |
| Department | Gateway Antarctica |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Terching Fellowship at University of Canterbury plus joint grant written to monitore Ross Sea MPA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Teaching, input to writing grant |
| Impact | Grant application written to NZ government |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Antarctic Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | 250 academics from across the world attended Several contacts were made asking for research collaborations. Three have led to concrete interactions |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Departmental Seminar (Newcastle university |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar for Newcastle University Department of Biological Sciences. Audience included undergraduate and post-graduate students, academics and administrators. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Immelman Lecture at University of bielefeld |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Gave the invited annual Immelman Lectur at Bielefeld University. This is an annual Univeristy scale presentation given by invited global leaders in the given field. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Innovation presentation to Cambridge university |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | 60 Cambridge university academics attended. The aim was to stimulate thinking about collaborations around the BAs/UCam innovation centre. 12 applications for pilot funded projects from the U Cam call in 2013 were made following this presentation. 6 were successful and are now running |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Invited Presentation at Alfred-Wegener-Institute confernece |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Talk changed the view of adaptation to cold marine environments After my talk more than 15 attendees asked to be sent copies of the paper the talk was based on when it comes out. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited specialist conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 35 leading international academics attended Much progress in thinking in field |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Keynote presentation at Portsmouth University Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote presentation at Portsmouth Universities Science Festival |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Keynote presentation to Env East and Cambridge DTPs spring meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynot presentation at DTP spring meeting of 2 NERC funded DTPs |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Malac Soc |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | 120 international academics attended Much following interest and debate. Two requests for collaboration |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Media interest |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Press releases by BAS and also by the publishers (Cell Press) of the main paper were taken up by over 100 media outlets. There were subsequently several radio interviews on this work in media outlets across the globe including USA, UK, Australia and Germany. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Naked scientist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Panel memeber of the Naked scientist programme for rdio - reached audiences of tens of thousands Further requests for information |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | PlymSEF Silve medal presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote presentation and award presentation to a wide ranging audience with interest in marine science |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | PlymSEF Silve medal presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Talked engendered great interest from undergraduate students through to senior academics, changing understanding in this area of science. Requests to continue discussing the work in ths presentation went on until after 11 pm in the evening. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Radio 4 the life scientific |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | the PI (LSP) weas subject of the radio 4 "Life Scientific" programme broadcast on Radio 4 and the World Service Several groups (schools, WI groups and Camera Clubs) have asked for further information or visits |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | SCAR EBA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | 50-60 invited attendees of international specialists meeting further requests for information. Two collaborations progressed |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | SCAR Horizon Scan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | 80 leading international academics came together to identify the large questions on the horizon for antarctic research. To inform the academic community, stakeholder and policy maker decisions. 1 paper in Nature, a second in Antarctic science. Follow up meetings in at least 6 countries to identify how to use the information produced in national programmes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Talk to Galapagos Trust |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 50 invited stakeholders and supporters of the Galapagos trust attended. My presentation was on similarities between the problems caused by climate change in Antarctica and the Galapagos. Penguin examples were amongst severl others. The audience spent over 30 mins in the question session after the presentation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Talk to Oxford Science Union |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | 75 academics attended the presentation n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | uk horizon Scan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | 20-30 academics and managers attended meeting and discussion groups Information provided for future decisions on priorities for funding |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |