Toxicity of Pollutant Mixtures and Heat Waves on Threatened Freshwater Taxa

This project is part of the NERC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training, ECOWILD. For more details, and for a full list of projects offered under this programme, please visit: https://ecowild.site.hw.ac.uk/

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.

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.

Essential Skills:

• Field-based skills
• Data analysis
• Policy and/or regulation

Supervisory Team:

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)