Zooplankton Biodiversity in the Western Antarctic Peninsula region

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Ann Bucklin (Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut)
Dan Distel (Ocean Genome Legacy, Northeastern University)

Bucklin image1Expedition ANTARCTIC BLANC sets sail on 12th February 2018 on a 66-foot yacht in Puerto Williams (Chile). The destination is the the Western Antarctic Peninsula region, one of the fastest-warming places on Earth.

Zooplankton samples will be collected for genetic analysis by metabarcoding (DNA sequencing of unsorted samples for a “DNA barcode” gene region). DNA from each sample will be archived at the Ocean Genome Legacy Center (https://www.northeastern.edu/ogl/).

 

Metabarcoding allows rapid assessment of the zooplankton assemblage and pelagic food web, and better understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change.