University of Tasmania, Australia

Modelling future distributions and population trends of Antarctic seals using Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS).

Level: PhD

Although we have an increasingly comprehensive understanding of the important habitats for Southern Ocean predators and how these are influenced by physical processes, there is less certainty about how future changes in the marine environment will affect predator distributions and population trends. This project will use habitat data derived from satellite tracking studies of several species of Antarctic seal. The key physical determinants of these habitats will be incorporated into the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) to investigate how the spatial and temporal distribution of these habitats will change under various climate scenarios. The population consequences of these changes will also be assessed, though bio-energetic and food-web models.

Nominal supervisors: Mark Hindell, Ben Raymond, Mary-Anne Lea, Clive McMahon