Aquatic Ecology and Physiology

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The study of aquatic organisms forms an important area of biological research because of their abundance, diversity and economic significance. The Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology is well-placed for both field and laboratory-based research into marine and freshwater biology. We have a freshwater field station - SCENE, on the banks of Loch Lomond and strong links with the University Marine Biological Station at Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae), both of which are equipped with research vessels and holding and observation tanks for a variety of aquatic organisms. The Graham Kerr Building itself has 8 aquarium rooms, equipped with both fresh and seawater for the long-term housing of aquatic animals.

Our research covers many aspects of the biology of aquatic organisms, from their respiratory physiology to their community structure. In our ecological work, we are currently investigating the functioning of deep sea and lake ecosystems, the life histories of deep sea fish, the developmental biology of amphibians, and the functional analysis of wetland plant communities (both in the UK and in the tropics). We also have a strong record in physiological ecology of aquatic organisms; our current research includes studies of metabolic rates in fish and responses of animals to low oxygen tensions.

The Research Group embraces both pure and applied approaches to studying ecology and physiology. Conservation work includes studies of the impact of introduced species on existing communities, while a broad range of research projects on the physiology of Nephrops (the burrowing lobster that is eaten as scampi or langoustine) are investigating methods to improve the flesh quality of harvested animals through modification of capture and storage practices. Collaborative work with neurobiologists, fisheries biologists and parasitologists is aimed at establishing the impact of a destructive dinoflagellate parasite on Nephrops populations.