Understanding the Biogeography of New Zealand's Indigenous Sea Anemones through Ecological Niche Modeling and Range Size Metrics

• Grant number: 25/00957-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: May 23, 2025
• End date: November 22, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Sérgio Nascimento Stampar
• Grantee: Marcela Aparecida de Barros
• Supervisor: Carolyn Jean Lundquist
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: National Institute Of Water And Atmospheric Research Ltd, Hamilton, New Zealand
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/15736-4 - THE HIDDEN WORLD OF CERIANTHARIA: ECOLOGY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION, BP.MS

Abstract

Sea anemones (Actiniaria) comprise more than 1,000 species distributed globally, playing fundamental ecological roles such as interspecific relationships, energy transfer between the water column and the benthic environment, and serving as environmental indicators. High-latitude regions, such as New Zealand, stand out for their remarkable diversity and endemism of these organisms, driven by unique oceanographic conditions and complex biogeographic histories. Despite this, gaps in understanding the distribution, biogeography, and ecology of endemic species hinder conservation efforts. In this context, Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) emerges as a valuable tool for correlating occurrence data with environmental variables, enabling inferences about the realized niche of species. Furthermore, the metrics of Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO), recommended by the IUCN, can be used to characterize the geographical ranges of organisms. Therefore, the main objective is to define the areas of environmental suitability and conservation status of New Zealand's endemic sea anemones under current and future climate scenarios. Based on the results, these methods can be applied to other organisms at different depths, including endemic anthozoan species occurring along the Brazilian coast, contributing to the advancement of marine conservation strategies.