Peracarid Crustaceans as Indicators of Benthic Community Shifts in Response to Glacier Retreat in Admiralty Bay, Antarctica

• Grant number: 25/13255-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 15, 2025
• End date: December 05, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Yukio Gomes Sumida
• Grantee: Pedro Augusto Simões
• Supervisor: Anna Maria Jazdzewska
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University Of Lodz, Poland
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/08905-7 - Colonization and distribution of benthic macrofauna in areas of glacial retreat of Martel Inlet (King George Island, Antarctica), BP.MS

Abstract

Antarctica, which contains approximately 90% of the planet's ice, is experiencing major environmental changes caused by climate change. One of the most clear impacts is glacier retreat, especially in vulnerable regions such as the Antarctic Peninsula. This retreat affects marine benthic communities, particularly in shallow waters, by changing environmental conditions and exposing new substrates for biological colonization. This research focuses on benthic macrofauna in Martel Inlet, Admiraly Bay (King George Island), an area that experienced a 13% reduction in ice cover between 1956 and 2000, mainly due to the retreat of the Dobrowolski and Krak Glaciers. This ice loss likely promoted benthic colonization in the newly exposed seafloor. Peracarids, including amphipods, isopods, cumaceans, and tanaidaceans, are dominant macrofaunal groups in Admiralty Bay and hold particular ecological significance due to their evolutionary history and ecological roles. These traits make them valuable bioindicators of environmental changes and essential for understanding shifts in Antarctic benthic ecosystems, requiring detailed species-level identification. This internship will be supervised by Dr. Anna Ja¿d¿ewska, a leading expert on Antarctic crustaceans, especially Amphipoda, the most abundant peracarid group in the samples. Additional taxonomic guidance will be provided by Dr. Magdalena B¿a¿ewicz, a specialist in identifying Tanaidacea, Cumacea, and Isopoda. Their mentorship will provide essential training in peracarid identification, which would be crucial for a more comprehensive understanding of the benthic colonization process in Martel Inlet.