Objective
The objective of this project is to gain a mechanistic understanding of the effects of turbulent water motion on protozoan swimming behavior in a pelagic environment.
We know that turbulent water motion can affect the feeding rates of planktonic metazoa by increasing encounter rates with prey particles. Analogously, theoretical calculations and experiments with planktonic protozoa, which are one to two orders of magnitude smaller, show mixed results. Overall, planktonic protozoa seem too small to be directly affected by an increase in encounter probabilities with prey particles under turbulent motion, at least at the energy levels normally found in the ocean. However, protozoa and even bacteria do present physiological, and possibly behavioral changes attributable to differences in the intensity of the hydrodynamic regime. These changes can indirectly alter prey detection and feeding rates.
Protozoan swimming behavior, both in terms of speed and the frequency o changes in direction, greatly affects encounter rates in the mostly dilute prey environments in which pelagic protozoa live.
In this project, swimming behavior of protozoa will be analyzed using video imaging and digitizing techniques, and the effects of hydrodynamic motion assessed. These possible effects are going to be analyzed in interaction with prey quantity and quality variables.
The importance of the project lies in further understanding the complex interactions of environmental variables and the microbial components of pelagic food webs. Since protozoa are postulated to be main controllers of bacterial populations, insight will be gained on the factors governing bacterial grazing rates. The mechanistic approach ensures the generality of the results that will be obtained.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology protozoology
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
08039 BARCELONA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.