Tetiaroa Society Ecostation

19 Oct, 01 PM - 14 Nov, 12 PM

Objective 1: Integrating eDNA technology with multi-frequency acoustic sampling to characterize animal movements in the water column. We plan to deploy an Acoustic Zooplankton Fish Recorder (AZFP) to quantify acoustic backscatter signatures of animal movements through 1000m of water column, continuously over 1 month. Over this same period, we plan to collect and filter seawater to extract eDNA using test kits from Wellington-based www.wilderlab.co.nz. We will sample water from 900m (facilitated by the Brando resort’s SWAC system), 30m, and 0m depth (facilitated by the Ecostation seawater system intake) at 3d intervals. The deepest and shallowest depths will be sampled once per day at noon (1200) to provide baseline signatures while the 30m depth will be sampled at 1200, 2100, and 0300 to capture dynamics of migrating fishes across the night. Data from the AZFP deployment will provide a highly resolved time-series of fish movements through the ocean’s twilight zone; eDNA will provide taxonomic clarity of this migrating assemblage. Integration of these two complementary data streams is wholly novel, highly publishable, and it will provide proof-of-concept for future work. Objective 2: Protocols to maintain and study lanternfishes in laboratory experiments We plan to collect lanternfishes alive and unharmed using light traps deployed at night, and maintain them in the Ecostation’s unique aquarium facilities supplied with seawater drawn from a depth of 900m (6degC and CO2 enriched). We evaluate responses of larval fishes (i.e., changes in behaviour and feeding rates) in response to lanternfish and a range of simulated moonlight conditions.

Visit #78481 @Tetiaroa Society Ecostation

Approved

Under Project # 50261 | Research

Developing a new program of deep water research to avert the next global ecological disaster

faculty - Victoria University of Wellington

Reservation Members(s)

Jeffrey Shima Oct 19 - Nov 14, 2022 (27 days)
Steve Swearer Oct 19 - Nov 14, 2022 (27 days)

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