Beyond species on the move: characterising Southern Ocean bioregions and communities under present and future climates

Many marine taxa have, and will continue to, undergo poleward shifts in distributions.

While predictions of species distributions now exist for various Southern Ocean pelagic species, effective conservation and management of this unique region requires a holistic understanding of how communities will respond.

The aim of this PhD is to delineate and assess climate impacts on "bioregions", defined as geographic areas with distinct assemblages and ecological communities. The project will have a strong emphasis on big data analysis and spatial statistics.

It will involve compiling available range maps across diverse trophic levels, complementing these with the creation of novel outputs for under-represented trophic groups and life-history stages via ecological niche modelling.

Statistical clustering analyses will be performed to define bioregions and to investigate their underlying environmental correlates. Projecting bioregion shifts under future conditions will use climate models taken from CMIP6 model reanalysis.