BIOFLAME-BIOPEARL: BIOdiversity dynamics: Phylogeography, Evolution And Radiation of Life

Antarctica presents a natural laboratory for the study of evolution. The combination of extensive snow and ice cover and harsh and variable climate means not much of the land area can sustain life. Communities of animals and plants consist of few species living in simple relationships.

This makes it easier to determine how ecosystems are built and function. In contrast, the shelf seas of the Antarctic are the most thermally stable but extreme marine environment on Earth. The low temperatures, including the threat of freezing, and the long-term geographic isolation, have acted as a cradle for evolution, resulting in a rich and diverse ecosystem which is recognised as a primary source for the origin of deep ocean species.

However, Antarctic marine species have adapted so effectively to this environment that they are now vulnerable to extinction as a result of global warming. We will use high-volume, high-throughput molecular biological approaches, especially DNA sequencing, DNA libraries and micro-array technology, on representative samples from the terrestrial and marine ecosystems on and around Antarctica. BIOFLAME will link to GEACEP, ACES and DISCOVERY 2010.