The focus of this CDT is multiple stressor impacts on wetlands, including both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
During their three year and eight-month PhD students receive world class training in multi-stressor science and wetland ecology & conservation in a mix of in-person cohort-building events and online training. The training is enriched through the active involvement of our associated partners, who contribute to the design and delivery of the programme, organise challenge events, and offer secondments and internships. This provides students with valuable real-world experience in addressing environmental problems and working in a professional environment.
Research Projects
ECOWILD students will work on a challenging research project aligned with one or more of the five priority research areas identified through horizon scanning exercises and in collaboration with our stakeholders (Partners – ECOWILD) All projects will include consideration of more than one environmental stressor through empirical investigations or from a restoration or governance/management perspective.
How to apply
Please complete this online application form here: Application.
Heriot-Watt University
Title: Investigating the influence of particle-toxicant interactions on toxicant bioavailability and toxicity in a tropical estuarine amphipod of mangrove wetlands
Lead Supervisor: Theodore Henry (Heriot Watt University)
Stakeholder Supervisor: Isabella Gosetto (Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC))
Co-Supervisor 1: Teresa Fernandes (Heriot Watt University)
Co-Supervisor 2: Alistair Boxall (University of York)
Co-Supervisor 3: Gisela Umbuzeiro (Faculdade de Technologia)
Project Description: This project will build on our foundation of knowledge of the ecotoxicology of P. hawaiensis from the development of the model (laboratory husbandry and testing, molecular biology, pathology, and behaviour) and responses to chemical toxicants (metals, natural and anthropogenic particles, and PAHs) to incorporate the critically important aspect of substance-particle interactions and consideration of application of science in policy or conservation advice. Our focus in the laboratory will be on investigating how particles (select natural colloids, plastic particles, and engineered nanoparticles) interact with toxicants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dissolved metals) and influence their bioavailability via sorption/desorption reactions and the effects of changes in salinity on these processes. Our purpose-built particle dispersion chamber enables particles to remain suspended in the aqueous phase and manipulation of toxicant concentrations, application of UV light (for photo-induction), at the same time toxicological responses are measured in model aquatic organisms. The model organism for this research is the circumtropical estuarine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis which has emerged as a particularly useful organism for laboratory research with direct relevance to critically important aquatic ecosystems (e.g., mangrove wetlands). Bioavailability of toxicants will be assessed by a combination of methods that include changes in target gene expression, immunotoxicology (blood cells), and behavioural ecotoxicology. Opportunities will be available for field investigations to be conducted in either Brazil or Malaysia in which the project supervisors have existing research collaborations.
The student to be selected for this project will need to have some experience in both laboratory and field research with some aptitude for both molecular biology and behavioural toxicology. An interest in physical and analytical chemistry will be useful as will be an appreciation for the importance of tropical aquatic environments. The student will become part of an established international team of researchers investigating ecotoxicology of tropical aquatic ecosystems.
What do you need to know: The aquatic toxicity of substances is controlled largely by factors that influence their bioavailability and among the most important of these are interactions with particles. Toxic substances sorb and desorb to particles in the aqueous phase and undergo transformation reactions mediated by photoactivation and microbial processes. As particles with sorbed toxicants are transported to river mouths and mangrove wetlands, rapid changes in salinity can alter toxicant-particle associations and affect toxicant bioavailability. Our established tropical amphipod model Parhyale hawaiensis and purpose-built particle-toxicant dispersion test chambers enable investigations into these critically important and understudied questions of environmental toxicology. The lead supervisor has existing research projects and long-term research collaborations with colleagues working with this model organism within mangrove ecosystems, which will provide access to these sites for field investigations.
What expertise and skills will the student develop?
The student will develop expertise in particle-substance interactions, assessment of toxicant bioavailability and toxicity, and ecotoxicology methods at multiple levels of biological organization including molecular biology (gene expression analyses), tissue (histopathology), and whole organism (behavioural toxicity). The student will also be able to develop competence in physical chemistry including aqueous-phase particles and analytical chemistry. The main project supervisor has long established research collaborations with supervisor in Brazil (Prof GA Umbuzeiro) and a joint academic appointment at the University of Campinas (Campinas, Brazil), and close partnerships with colleagues in Malaysia in which some research opportunities in tropical ecotoxicology will be available.
Why is the project novel?
The importance of particle-substance interactions on the bioavailability of toxicants to aquatic organisms are recognised as among the most critical and poorly understood areas of ecotoxicology. Our previous research has demonstrated the influence aqueous-phase particles on toxicant bioavailability, toxicant decomposition, and toxicant photo-induction and degradation/decomposition. This project will employ state-of-the-art techniques to enhance understanding of particle-toxicant interactions relevant to mangrove wetlands which are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The project will inform ecological protection and identify areas of interest for international conventions such as Ramsar and UN Environment Programme for tackling pollution in mangroves.
What real-life challenge does it address?
Mangrove ecosystems face mounting threats from the triple planetary crises of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. Particle-toxicant interactions result in complex scenarios in which toxicants are transformed and traditional ecotoxicity tests that do not include the influence of particles on toxicant bioavailability have limited ability to predict toxicity. This project will move forward understanding of particle-toxicant interactions and enhance knowledge of multiple factors that affect toxicity in a critically important relevant model organism of mangrove ecosystems. Findings will inform environmental policy, enhance risk assessment frameworks, and support conservation strategies for mangroves, critical buffers against climate impacts and biodiversity decline.
Stakeholder Supervisor: Isabella Gosetto (Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC))
Co-Supervisor 1: Teresa Fernandes (Heriot Watt University)
Co-Supervisor 2: Alistair Boxall (University of York)
Co-Supervisor 3: Gisela Umbuzeiro (Faculdade de Technologia)
Project Description: This project will build on our foundation of knowledge of the ecotoxicology of P. hawaiensis from the development of the model (laboratory husbandry and testing, molecular biology, pathology, and behaviour) and responses to chemical toxicants (metals, natural and anthropogenic particles, and PAHs) to incorporate the critically important aspect of substance-particle interactions and consideration of application of science in policy or conservation advice. Our focus in the laboratory will be on investigating how particles (select natural colloids, plastic particles, and engineered nanoparticles) interact with toxicants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dissolved metals) and influence their bioavailability via sorption/desorption reactions and the effects of changes in salinity on these processes. Our purpose-built particle dispersion chamber enables particles to remain suspended in the aqueous phase and manipulation of toxicant concentrations, application of UV light (for photo-induction), at the same time toxicological responses are measured in model aquatic organisms. The model organism for this research is the circumtropical estuarine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis which has emerged as a particularly useful organism for laboratory research with direct relevance to critically important aquatic ecosystems (e.g., mangrove wetlands). Bioavailability of toxicants will be assessed by a combination of methods that include changes in target gene expression, immunotoxicology (blood cells), and behavioural ecotoxicology. Opportunities will be available for field investigations to be conducted in either Brazil or Malaysia in which the project supervisors have existing research collaborations.
The student to be selected for this project will need to have some experience in both laboratory and field research with some aptitude for both molecular biology and behavioural toxicology. An interest in physical and analytical chemistry will be useful as will be an appreciation for the importance of tropical aquatic environments. The student will become part of an established international team of researchers investigating ecotoxicology of tropical aquatic ecosystems.
What do you need to know: The aquatic toxicity of substances is controlled largely by factors that influence their bioavailability and among the most important of these are interactions with particles. Toxic substances sorb and desorb to particles in the aqueous phase and undergo transformation reactions mediated by photoactivation and microbial processes. As particles with sorbed toxicants are transported to river mouths and mangrove wetlands, rapid changes in salinity can alter toxicant-particle associations and affect toxicant bioavailability. Our established tropical amphipod model Parhyale hawaiensis and purpose-built particle-toxicant dispersion test chambers enable investigations into these critically important and understudied questions of environmental toxicology. The lead supervisor has existing research projects and long-term research collaborations with colleagues working with this model organism within mangrove ecosystems, which will provide access to these sites for field investigations.
What expertise and skills will the student develop?
The student will develop expertise in particle-substance interactions, assessment of toxicant bioavailability and toxicity, and ecotoxicology methods at multiple levels of biological organization including molecular biology (gene expression analyses), tissue (histopathology), and whole organism (behavioural toxicity). The student will also be able to develop competence in physical chemistry including aqueous-phase particles and analytical chemistry. The main project supervisor has long established research collaborations with supervisor in Brazil (Prof GA Umbuzeiro) and a joint academic appointment at the University of Campinas (Campinas, Brazil), and close partnerships with colleagues in Malaysia in which some research opportunities in tropical ecotoxicology will be available.
Why is the project novel?
The importance of particle-substance interactions on the bioavailability of toxicants to aquatic organisms are recognised as among the most critical and poorly understood areas of ecotoxicology. Our previous research has demonstrated the influence aqueous-phase particles on toxicant bioavailability, toxicant decomposition, and toxicant photo-induction and degradation/decomposition. This project will employ state-of-the-art techniques to enhance understanding of particle-toxicant interactions relevant to mangrove wetlands which are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The project will inform ecological protection and identify areas of interest for international conventions such as Ramsar and UN Environment Programme for tackling pollution in mangroves.
What real-life challenge does it address?
Mangrove ecosystems face mounting threats from the triple planetary crises of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. Particle-toxicant interactions result in complex scenarios in which toxicants are transformed and traditional ecotoxicity tests that do not include the influence of particles on toxicant bioavailability have limited ability to predict toxicity. This project will move forward understanding of particle-toxicant interactions and enhance knowledge of multiple factors that affect toxicity in a critically important relevant model organism of mangrove ecosystems. Findings will inform environmental policy, enhance risk assessment frameworks, and support conservation strategies for mangroves, critical buffers against climate impacts and biodiversity decline.
Title: Toxicity of Pollutant Mixtures and Heat Waves on Threatened Freshwater Taxa
Lead Supervisor: Frances Orton (Heriot Watt University)
Stakeholder Supervisor: Graeme Shaw (Natural England)
Co-Supervisor 1: Heidrun Feuchtmayr (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)
Co-Supervisor 2: Theodore Henry (Heriot-Watt University)
Project Description: This project will comprise site selection and optimisation of techniques. For the site selection objective, the work can be split into 3 distinct sampling seasons, which will take part in the Spring of 2027, 2028 and 2029. As ponds are highly heterogenous, initially (2027), a variety of ‘reference’ pond types will be selected, with regards to pollution pressure, in order to collect baseline data on amphibian and freshwater mollusc diversity (eDNA) under ‘non-polluted’ conditions. These ‘reference’ ponds will comprise ephemeral and permanent water bodies with assumptions for low pollution pressure estimated by surrounding land classifications (e.g., unimproved grassland, native woodland). The geographic scope of the ponds will be limited to Southern Scotland and Northern England, aligning with the location of the partner Institutes. Moving into the second field season (2028), the site selection will be broadened to include ponds with predicted pollution pressure – confirmed via chemical analysis – with ‘polluted’ ponds matched by geography & pond type with the previously identified ‘reference’ ponds. In this second field seaosn, in addition to diversity monitoring (eDNA), biomarker responses of representative amphibians and freshwater molluscs will be carried out. In the final field season (2029), depending on the initial two field seasons, either a mesocosm approach or further site selection will be carried out, with a greater focus on either ephemeral or permanent ponds to provide more in-depth profiling for one of these broad pond types.
Outwith field sampling timeframes, laboratory analyses of eDNA and oxidative stress/deotoxification responses will be carried out in the laboratory.
What do you need to know:
This exciting project aims to investigate both community and individual level responses of amphibians and freshwater molluscs (comprising the most highly threatened vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, respectively) to environmental stressors. In this project, we will work with our partners – Natural England – to identify candidate ponds by analysing data already collected as part of the National Capital Ecosystem Assessment monitoring programme (water quality, amphibian/mollusc diversity). In selected ponds, we will investigate the combined effects of pollutant mixtures and heat waves using field-based and mesocosm approaches. Responses of both communities and ecotoxicological biomarkers (e.g., oxidative stress, detoxification) to these stressors will be assessed.
What expertise and skills will the student develop?
The student will learn how to design and carry out fieldwork in ponds/wetlands, as well as biochemical (oxidative stress) and molecular skills (eDNA, real-time quantitative PCR). The supervisor team will encourage the student to communicate scientific outcomes at seminars, meetings and showcase days.
With the supervisory team across two institutes (Heriot-Watt University, UKCEH) and a governmental department (Natural England), the student will have the opportunity to harness various course offers beyond ECOWILD and expand skills according to needs and interests, e.g., science to policy dissemination, course on scientific writing, project management, R training, fieldwork first aid or data visualisation.
Why is the project novel?
Although there are good data on river water quality and how this relates to invertebrate diversity in the UK and Europe, similar data are scarce for ponds/wetlands. Similarly, there are some good data on amphibian diversity in ponds, however, individual response data for wild amphibians are scarce (as is diversity data for UK ponds/wetlands). In this project, we will add to the diversity data for ponds in the UK – aligning with nationally significant monitoring project methodology to allow comparison and incorporation between data sets – and investigate the impacts on pollutant mixtures and heat waves on these communities. Further, we will produce novel data on biomarker responses in sensitive taxa across a range of pond types, with differing stressor intensities and combinations.
What real-life challenge does it address?
Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate, with freshwater taxa particularly impacted. These taxa are experiencing various different environmental stressor simultaneously (and sequentially), with pollution only second to habitat loss in driving observed declines. Amphibians and freshwater molluscs are at the forefront of the biodiversity crisis, together comprising the most highly threatened phyla globally (> 40% of species threatened with extinction). This project will help to shed light on the potential causes of these declines, and how ubiquitous stressors interact to drive responses in wild organisms.
Stakeholder Supervisor: Graeme Shaw (Natural England)
Co-Supervisor 1: Heidrun Feuchtmayr (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)
Co-Supervisor 2: Theodore Henry (Heriot-Watt University)
Project Description: This project will comprise site selection and optimisation of techniques. For the site selection objective, the work can be split into 3 distinct sampling seasons, which will take part in the Spring of 2027, 2028 and 2029. As ponds are highly heterogenous, initially (2027), a variety of ‘reference’ pond types will be selected, with regards to pollution pressure, in order to collect baseline data on amphibian and freshwater mollusc diversity (eDNA) under ‘non-polluted’ conditions. These ‘reference’ ponds will comprise ephemeral and permanent water bodies with assumptions for low pollution pressure estimated by surrounding land classifications (e.g., unimproved grassland, native woodland). The geographic scope of the ponds will be limited to Southern Scotland and Northern England, aligning with the location of the partner Institutes. Moving into the second field season (2028), the site selection will be broadened to include ponds with predicted pollution pressure – confirmed via chemical analysis – with ‘polluted’ ponds matched by geography & pond type with the previously identified ‘reference’ ponds. In this second field seaosn, in addition to diversity monitoring (eDNA), biomarker responses of representative amphibians and freshwater molluscs will be carried out. In the final field season (2029), depending on the initial two field seasons, either a mesocosm approach or further site selection will be carried out, with a greater focus on either ephemeral or permanent ponds to provide more in-depth profiling for one of these broad pond types.
Outwith field sampling timeframes, laboratory analyses of eDNA and oxidative stress/deotoxification responses will be carried out in the laboratory.
What do you need to know:
This exciting project aims to investigate both community and individual level responses of amphibians and freshwater molluscs (comprising the most highly threatened vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, respectively) to environmental stressors. In this project, we will work with our partners – Natural England – to identify candidate ponds by analysing data already collected as part of the National Capital Ecosystem Assessment monitoring programme (water quality, amphibian/mollusc diversity). In selected ponds, we will investigate the combined effects of pollutant mixtures and heat waves using field-based and mesocosm approaches. Responses of both communities and ecotoxicological biomarkers (e.g., oxidative stress, detoxification) to these stressors will be assessed.
What expertise and skills will the student develop?
The student will learn how to design and carry out fieldwork in ponds/wetlands, as well as biochemical (oxidative stress) and molecular skills (eDNA, real-time quantitative PCR). The supervisor team will encourage the student to communicate scientific outcomes at seminars, meetings and showcase days.
With the supervisory team across two institutes (Heriot-Watt University, UKCEH) and a governmental department (Natural England), the student will have the opportunity to harness various course offers beyond ECOWILD and expand skills according to needs and interests, e.g., science to policy dissemination, course on scientific writing, project management, R training, fieldwork first aid or data visualisation.
Why is the project novel?
Although there are good data on river water quality and how this relates to invertebrate diversity in the UK and Europe, similar data are scarce for ponds/wetlands. Similarly, there are some good data on amphibian diversity in ponds, however, individual response data for wild amphibians are scarce (as is diversity data for UK ponds/wetlands). In this project, we will add to the diversity data for ponds in the UK – aligning with nationally significant monitoring project methodology to allow comparison and incorporation between data sets – and investigate the impacts on pollutant mixtures and heat waves on these communities. Further, we will produce novel data on biomarker responses in sensitive taxa across a range of pond types, with differing stressor intensities and combinations.
What real-life challenge does it address?
Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate, with freshwater taxa particularly impacted. These taxa are experiencing various different environmental stressor simultaneously (and sequentially), with pollution only second to habitat loss in driving observed declines. Amphibians and freshwater molluscs are at the forefront of the biodiversity crisis, together comprising the most highly threatened phyla globally (> 40% of species threatened with extinction). This project will help to shed light on the potential causes of these declines, and how ubiquitous stressors interact to drive responses in wild organisms.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
TITLE: Impacts of multiple stressors (pollutants and disease) on beavers in England
Lead Supervisor: M. Glória Pereira (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)
Stakeholder Supervisor: Suzane Qassim (Natural England)
Co-Supervisor 1: Clayton Magill (Heriot Watt University)
Co-Supervisor 2: Claudia Carraro (Zoological Society of London)
Project Description: Eurasian beavers are semi-aquatic herbivorous rodents which became extinct in England around the 16th Century. Populations are beginning to return within some catchments in England and the DRAHS programme (an Institute of Zoology – Natural England partnership) has been set up to enable pathological investigations, tissue sample archiving, and background data collation from beaver carcasses.
This PhD will tap into this established program – and begin to build a holistic understanding of the exposure and impacts of a mixture of chemical pollutants (i.e., heavy metals, POPs, emerging pollutants) and disease agents (infectious agents, e.g., viruses, bacteria; non-infectious agents, e.g., nutrient deficiencies) within beavers, to inform future recovery. Likewise, it will help identify potential threats to other biota in the context of a One Health approach. Beavers represent a priority species for recovery and a ‘new’ semi-aquatic herbivorous biomonitoring sentinel.
This project will involve targeted and non-targeted chemical analysis of new and archived sample tissues (using a variety of tissue types) – employing techniques including ICP-OES/MS for inorganics and GC-FID/MS, GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS for organics (e.g., POPs, agrochemicals, emerging pollutants). State of the art instruments and facilities for such analysis exist within the host institutes (UKCEH, HWU). Natural England have already initiated some initial analysis with other stakeholder (using the UKCEH led WILDCOMS network; https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/projects/wildcoms).
In terms of disease detection, the PhD student will work with the DRAHS group which currently delivers all beaver post-mortem examinations, diagnostic pathology, and sample archiving. The wider stakeholder group (i.e., the Environment Agency) will also facilitate access to other potentially valuable metadata such as relevant catchment water quality.
The PhD can begin to explore a range of questions, potentially including:
– Are there spatial (i.e., catchment) or temporal differences in disease presence and/or chemical pollution levels that could impact on beaver population recovery?
– What are the priority chemical substances of concern within (beaver created) wetlands in England?
– Is there a link between levels of chemicals and pathological findings in the beavers?
– What is the risk from disease transmission between beavers and other biota?
– Are there new chemical indicators that could be further developed and reported on (in future) to inform environmental policy?
What do you need to know: Eurasian beavers are semi-aquatic herbivorous rodents. Beaver populations, previously extinct, are beginning to return within some English catchments. A disease surveillance programme has been set up to enable the collection of samples and data from beavers found dead. This work will inform the further development of a terrestrial chemical biomonitoring programme.
The PhD will begin to build a holistic understanding of the exposure and impacts of chemical pollutants and disease agents on beavers, to inform future recovery of this species, potential threats to other biota and develop a One Health paradigm. The project will benefit from supervision by a highly multidisciplinary team including experts in wildlife health, ecology, environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, environmental management and policy.
What expertise and skills will the student develop?
The student will develop expertise in analytical chemistry, the diagnosis of disease, chemical fate and biomonitoring, statistical analyses, policy and regulation – all within the context of a broader ecological understanding of freshwater ecosystems and wildlife health.
They will benefit from the opportunity to work with project supervisors at Natural England (expertise in ecotoxicology and mammal ecology), at the Institute of Zoology (Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance; DRAHS) and with several academic partners (biogeochemists/wildlife toxicologists).
Why is the project novel?
Beavers represent a novel ‘biomonitoring’ sentinel species, due to their lower-level trophic position and ecological habit. Ongoing beaver monitoring now provides a unique opportunity to investigate pollutants within the wetlands (and thus catchments) within which they reside, concomitant with changes in beaver health detected through disease surveillance, with implications for river and wider ecosystem health.
What real-life challenge does it address?
There is a gap in understanding the impacts of chemical substances on lower trophic level wildlife. Current biomonitoring has focused on apex predators as sentinels. Investigating the impacts of multiple stressors on beavers will provide information relevant to the future recovery of this species and shed light on potential emerging chemical threats to a wider range of biota. From a One Health perspective, the presence of disease agents and/or pollutants within beavers and their habitat is relevant to beavers as well as environmental-animal-ecosystem health more broadly. Like any other biomonitoring species (e.g., raptors, marine mammals) beavers can act as sentinels – and help create one part of a ‘chemical effects’ based early warning system.
Stakeholder Supervisor: Suzane Qassim (Natural England)
Co-Supervisor 1: Clayton Magill (Heriot Watt University)
Co-Supervisor 2: Claudia Carraro (Zoological Society of London)
Project Description: Eurasian beavers are semi-aquatic herbivorous rodents which became extinct in England around the 16th Century. Populations are beginning to return within some catchments in England and the DRAHS programme (an Institute of Zoology – Natural England partnership) has been set up to enable pathological investigations, tissue sample archiving, and background data collation from beaver carcasses.
This PhD will tap into this established program – and begin to build a holistic understanding of the exposure and impacts of a mixture of chemical pollutants (i.e., heavy metals, POPs, emerging pollutants) and disease agents (infectious agents, e.g., viruses, bacteria; non-infectious agents, e.g., nutrient deficiencies) within beavers, to inform future recovery. Likewise, it will help identify potential threats to other biota in the context of a One Health approach. Beavers represent a priority species for recovery and a ‘new’ semi-aquatic herbivorous biomonitoring sentinel.
This project will involve targeted and non-targeted chemical analysis of new and archived sample tissues (using a variety of tissue types) – employing techniques including ICP-OES/MS for inorganics and GC-FID/MS, GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS for organics (e.g., POPs, agrochemicals, emerging pollutants). State of the art instruments and facilities for such analysis exist within the host institutes (UKCEH, HWU). Natural England have already initiated some initial analysis with other stakeholder (using the UKCEH led WILDCOMS network; https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/projects/wildcoms).
In terms of disease detection, the PhD student will work with the DRAHS group which currently delivers all beaver post-mortem examinations, diagnostic pathology, and sample archiving. The wider stakeholder group (i.e., the Environment Agency) will also facilitate access to other potentially valuable metadata such as relevant catchment water quality.
The PhD can begin to explore a range of questions, potentially including:
– Are there spatial (i.e., catchment) or temporal differences in disease presence and/or chemical pollution levels that could impact on beaver population recovery?
– What are the priority chemical substances of concern within (beaver created) wetlands in England?
– Is there a link between levels of chemicals and pathological findings in the beavers?
– What is the risk from disease transmission between beavers and other biota?
– Are there new chemical indicators that could be further developed and reported on (in future) to inform environmental policy?
What do you need to know: Eurasian beavers are semi-aquatic herbivorous rodents. Beaver populations, previously extinct, are beginning to return within some English catchments. A disease surveillance programme has been set up to enable the collection of samples and data from beavers found dead. This work will inform the further development of a terrestrial chemical biomonitoring programme.
The PhD will begin to build a holistic understanding of the exposure and impacts of chemical pollutants and disease agents on beavers, to inform future recovery of this species, potential threats to other biota and develop a One Health paradigm. The project will benefit from supervision by a highly multidisciplinary team including experts in wildlife health, ecology, environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, environmental management and policy.
What expertise and skills will the student develop?
The student will develop expertise in analytical chemistry, the diagnosis of disease, chemical fate and biomonitoring, statistical analyses, policy and regulation – all within the context of a broader ecological understanding of freshwater ecosystems and wildlife health.
They will benefit from the opportunity to work with project supervisors at Natural England (expertise in ecotoxicology and mammal ecology), at the Institute of Zoology (Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance; DRAHS) and with several academic partners (biogeochemists/wildlife toxicologists).
Why is the project novel?
Beavers represent a novel ‘biomonitoring’ sentinel species, due to their lower-level trophic position and ecological habit. Ongoing beaver monitoring now provides a unique opportunity to investigate pollutants within the wetlands (and thus catchments) within which they reside, concomitant with changes in beaver health detected through disease surveillance, with implications for river and wider ecosystem health.
What real-life challenge does it address?
There is a gap in understanding the impacts of chemical substances on lower trophic level wildlife. Current biomonitoring has focused on apex predators as sentinels. Investigating the impacts of multiple stressors on beavers will provide information relevant to the future recovery of this species and shed light on potential emerging chemical threats to a wider range of biota. From a One Health perspective, the presence of disease agents and/or pollutants within beavers and their habitat is relevant to beavers as well as environmental-animal-ecosystem health more broadly. Like any other biomonitoring species (e.g., raptors, marine mammals) beavers can act as sentinels – and help create one part of a ‘chemical effects’ based early warning system.