[Coral-List] Bachelor thesis proposal - phylogeny of the corallivorous fireworm Hermodice carunculata

[Maggy Nugues]

Dear Listers,

We are offering a bachelor thesis dealing with the phylogeny of the 
corallivorous fireworm Hermodice carunculata (see following text). The 
project will be based in Bremen and Bremerhaven, Germany.

Please forward or propose this to your motivated and interested students!

Cheers,
Maggy Nugues

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Open position: Bachelor thesis
Title: Phylogenetic analysis of the corallivorous fireworm Hermodice 
carunculata

The bearded fireworm, Hermodice carunculata, is a corallivorous 
polychaete which inhabits coral reefs worldwide. Corallivory is the term 
related to the consumption of living coral tissue. H. carunculata is a 
scavenger which nourishes on all kinds of food sources, thus it is a 
facultative corallivore. However, with a change in coral reef health, 
this polychaete might shift its diet towards scleractinian corals. As H. 
carunculata has also been identified to serve as a vector for coral 
diseases, the impact of this corallivore on coral reef health is of 
growing interest. Fieldwork was carried out on the island of Curaçao, 
southern Caribbean between September 2010 and March 2011. H. carunculata 
specimens were collected from the leeward side of the island in two 
different habitat types: inland bays and fringing reefs. The aim of this 
bachelor project is to investigate the phylogenetic relationships 
between H. carunculata specimens collected from these two habitat types. 
This research will be carried out in collaboration with the Texas A&M 
University and the University of Rio de Janeiro in order to join 
datasets and conduct phylogeographic analyses on a global scale.

We offer:
excellent research facilities and professional supervision through a 
collaboration between the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology 
(ZMT) and Bremen University. The applicant will gain training in 
molecular work and genetic analysis. If the molecular work is completed 
successfully, the student may be offered co-authorship in a 
peer-reviewed journal.

We are looking for:
a motivated student with an interest in coral reef ecology and tropical 
marine microbiology. The applicant needs to be experienced with 
molecular biology techniques and he/she should be able to work 
independently. Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential.

Expected starting date: June 15, 2011 for a period of 3 to 5 months.

Application deadline: May 15th 2011, or as soon as a suitable candidate 
has been found.
Please send your CV and letter of motivation to the contact address below..

Contact: alexander.wolf at zmt-bremen.de

-- 
Dr. Maggy Nugues
Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT)
Fahrenheitstr. 6
D-28359 Bremen
Germany
tel: +49-421-2380025, fax: +49-421-2380030
e-mail: maggy.nugues at zmt-bremen.de, skype: maggy.nugues
www.zmt-bremen.de

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Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie (ZMT) GmbH

Fahrenheitstraße 6
28359 Bremen
Deutschland
Tel. +49(0)421 238 00-0
Fax +49(0)421 238 00-30
www.zmt-bremen.de

Sitz der Gesellschaft: Bremen
Registergericht: Amtsgericht Bremen
Handelsregister Nr. HRB 25746 HB
Steuer-Nr. 71/607/12036
USt.-IdNr. DE 266278207

Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates:
Dr. Walter Dörhage

Geschäftsführer:
Prof. Dr. Hildegard Westphal

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