Objectif The objectives of this study are to investigate geographical variation in morphological and DNA characteristics of certain seabird parasites from sites in Western Europe (Iceland, Norway, Northern Ireland), European Russia (Barents Sea coasts, White Sea, Vaigatch) and Russian Far East (Sea of Okhotsk, Eastern Chukotka, Kamchatka or Kurilsky islands): The parasites in question (certain Trematoda, Cestoda and Acanthocephala) are pathogenic to their vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, and widespread in coastal ecosystems in all parts of the northern hemisphere. In addition, the degree of local physiological adaptation to environmental factors (temperature and heavy metal presence) will be studied, and the phylogeny of the parasites within each group will be investigated using phylogenetic analyses of morphological, genetic and physiological data. Finally, hypotheses concerning the evolutionary processes affecting population divergence and speciation of these parasites, with special reference to migratory routes of definitive host bird species and the potential for host switching in each region, will be addressed. Increased understanding of parasite evolutionary processes will provide insights into possible effects of global warming and other anthropogenic influences on parasite biodiversity.Sites on the following migratory flyways of wader, duck and gull bird hosts will be studied(1) from North America via Iceland to western Europe;(2) from Arctic Russia and Barents Sea via the north Murman and Norwegian coasts to western Europe;(3) from West Siberia via the White Sea to western Europe;(4) the complex of at least three routes from East Siberia via the Sea of Okhotsk and Kamchatka to West Pacific wintering areas;(5) from extreme NE Asia through the Bering Straits to Alaska and the East Pacific.Modern methodologies will be used to test the specific hypothesis that microphallid trematodes evolved on the coasts of China and south Japan, spread postglacially throughout the Pacific and penetrated the Atlantic via North America, against other possibilities involving e.g. arctic refugia in glacial times. In order to achieve this, further descriptive study of these parasites is necessary. For the less well-studied parasite taxa (Cestoda and Acanthocephala) a greater amount of initial taxonomic work is required before synthesis of the results in terms of evolutionary processes can be undertaken. These groups, however, will provide important contrasts with microphallids. The research programme will involve collection of parasites (mainly larval stages found in littoral invertebrates) from the different geographical regions concerned. These organisms will be used for taxonomic and behavioural studies, light and electron microscopy and DNA analyses. The data gained will be analysed and interpreted to provide information on genetic variation, phylogeny and evolutionary processes.The work will be carried out by three Russian and three INTAS teams. The Russian teams are comprised of 10 well-established parasitologists and ornithologists and 12 young scientists. The six teams together present a balanced and complementary task force to address the proposed research. All three INTAS teams have successfully collaborated with at least some of the Russian teams in the past. This proposal builds on the established collaborations, including a previous INTAS study, and increases the geographical area to extend from Iceland across the palearctic to the Russian Far East.Climatic change, whether gradual global warming or sudden alterations consequent to disruption of major ocean current systems in the Atlantic, will have major impacts on parasite populations and biodiversity. This study will provide information relevant to an assessment of the effects of climate change on parasite distribution, abundance, and the possibility of changes triggering a set of rapid speciation events (as apparently happened at the time of postglacial climatic change). This work needs to be done now, before temperature changes become more extremely divergent from the former status quo. It should be stressed that all parasites involved in the study are highly pathogenic to birds and to invertebrate intermediate hosts. Range extension to new areas might have a significant negative effect on coastal communities existing there. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Thème(s) 4 - Life Sciences OPEN - OPEN Call Appel à propositions Data not available Régime de financement Data not available Coordinateur University of Ulster at Jordanstown Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Shore Rd, Co. Antrim Northern Ireland BT37 0QB Newtownabbey Royaume-Uni Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Participants (5) Trier par ordre alphabétique Trier par contribution de l’UE Tout développer Tout réduire Institute of the Biological Problems of the North Russie Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Portovaya, 18 685000 Magadan Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Murmansk Marine Biological Institute of the RAS Russie Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse Vladimirskaya, 17 183010 Murmansk Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Norvège Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse 9296 Tromsoe Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée Russian Academy of Sciences Russie Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse University Emb. 1 199034 St. Petersburg Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée University of Iceland Islande Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse v. Vesturlandsveg 112 Reykjavik Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée
