Aims: Characterize a potentially novel chemosymbiotic lucinid bivalve from Mauritania and the microbiome of its reproductive stages that have so far only been found in 5 other bivalve species. This will enable us to better understand the mode of transmission of the lucinid symbiont. Apart from that we seek to gain knowledge about how chemosymbiotic bivalves interact with their biotic environment and what ecological role they play in shallow marine ecosystems such as seagrass beds.

Approach/Methods: Sampling lucinids in seagrass beds, diver-operated microsensor measurements, DNA extraction, meta-transcriptome, meta-proteome and metabolic analyses

Student: Sarah Zauner

Faculty: Jillian Petersen (PI)

Funding: ÖAW