MR ANTON KUECH

Biography

Anton is a QUADRAT (Queen’s University Belfast & Aberdeen Doctoral Research and Training) DTP PhD researcher at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen. His research is centred on assessing the significance of macroalgal detritus for marine food webs and blue-carbon sequestration, with a particular focus on Arctic ecosystems. He is part of the Witte group, led by Professor Ursula Witte, which investigates the functioning of benthic marine ecosystems and benthic-pelagic coupling in a world of changing climate and under the influence of anthropogenic activities. Anton is a marine biologist, having graduated with a BSc (Hons) Marine Biology from the University of Aberdeen and studied abroad at the University of Western Australia. His participation in research projects ranges from invasive marine invertebrate species in Western Australia over fish trap trials on the Scottish Western Isles to participation in the Modular Observation Solutions for Earth Systems (MOSES) campaign under the helm of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. 

Research Overview

- The significance of macroalgal detritus for marine food webs and Blue-Carbon sequestration

- Benthic community and trophic structure

- Climate variability (particularly in the Arctic) and its impact on macroalgal distribution and the benthic community

- Deep sea science

Past research interests include:

- Spatial distribution of introduced marine invertebrate species (University of Western Australia)

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1 Sampling sessile invertebrates attached to a wreck off the coast in Albany, Western Australia    2 European fan worm (Sabella Spallanzanii) sampled in the harbour

- The influence of sea ice cover on benthic community and trophic structure (University of Aberdeen)

Assemblage of species sampled and analysed from the Weddel Sea, Antartica. Top left: Yoldiella antarctica, top right: Amphipoda, bottom left: Ophiuroidea (brittle star), bottom right: Yoldiella ecaudata

- Modular Observation Solutions for Earth Systems (MOSES) project, focusing on methane concentrations in the sea surface layer (Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany)

- The applications of fish traps for inshore small-scale fisheries on the Outer Hebrides (the Western Isles Fisheries Association in cooperation with the University of Aberdeen)

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1 School shark (Galeorhinus galeus; locally called tope shark) bycatch (luckily the shark was unharmed and returned to the ocean immediately)      2 Example of fish trap catch      3 Fish traps used by CARAPAX®

Current Research

Is macroalgal carbon sequestration the ’elephant in the Blue Carbon room’?

The term ‘Blue Carbon’ describes the long-term carbon storage by coastal ecosystems, mostly mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses. Macroalgae, such as kelp, are often overlooked as Blue Carbon habitats given that they grow on hard rocky substrates, preventing the accumulation of carbon over time. With studies estimating that around 80% of macroalgal carbon is transported to the deep-sea habitat, macroalgae have the potential of representing a significant contribution to Blue Carbon.

My research focuses on quantifying the contribution of macroalgae to benthic community support and long-term carbon sequestration.

A combination of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) imaging, multiple coring, stable isotope analysis and isotope tracing experiments will be performed to answer the following questions:

1. How much macroalgal biomass is transported to the deep-sea ecosystem?
2. Of the transported macroalgal carbon how much is                                                                                        a. stored long-term (i.e. sequestered)?                                                                                                              b. utilized as a food source for the benthic community?

To understand macroalgal carbon contributions to the deep-sea benthos, I am at the forefront of developing novel isotope tracing experiments. Therefore, selected macroalgal species (e.g. the common brown kelp – Laminaria digitata) will be cultivated in the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research algal culture facilities (Bremerhaven, Germany). Supplementary ROV imaging will be used to quantify macroalgal detritus arriving at the seafloor. Moreover, sample collection will be based on sediment retrieval by multiple corers.

The experimental work is expected to be conducted aboard a series of research expeditions to the Kongsfjorden inlet, Spitzbergen. The Arctic fjord system of Kongsfjorden is of particular interest attributed to a rapid sea ice extent decline in the last decade and subsequent macroalgal expansion, therefore representing an ideal area for investigating future macroalgal Blue Carbon estimates. Berths on the 2021 RV Oceania expedition to Kongsfjorden have already been secured, with additional regional work in Scottish fjords on the west coast planned.

Apart from the scientific advancements in the field of Blue Carbon science envisaged for my project, there is ample opportunity for developing pathways to impact both locally and internationally. Given the direct relevance to climate change mitigation and ocean management in a world of rising atmospheric CO2 levels, translating findings into policy-making is expected to be simplified by cooperation with the Scottish Government’s Scottish Blue Carbon Forum. Results could also be extrapolated to quantify and correct current Blue Carbon estimates, further improving climate change mitigation advancements.

Collaborations

Additional partner research institutions include the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IOPAN).

Funding and Grants

QUADRAT DTP studentship funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions.

Teaching Responsibilities

I am currently demonstrating for:

- SX1015: Oceans and Society (level 1)

- BI1012: Diversity of Life (level 1)

-BI1511: Ecology and Environmental Science (level 1)

- BI2020: Ecology (level 2)

- BI25Z5: Fundamentals in Marine Biology (level 2)

- BI2509: Conservation Biology (level 2)

- BI3010: Statistical Analysis of Biological Data (level 3)

- EV5517: Applications of GIS (PGT, level 5)