Practical Coursework / Research Modules

The practical work in the course is organized into modules supervised by the participating research groups at Eawag. Each module tackles a defined question and has individual learning goals, but also contributes to the overall integrative aim of the course. Students will work in one module for one week and then switch to another module.

The modules are supposed to address different aspects of our main theme:
"Interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes in aquatic systems".

Module 1

Effects of the ecological and evolutionary diversity of zooplankton on aquatic ecosystem processes (Supervisor: Blake Matthews)

Zooplankton are a fundamental link between lower and upper trophic levels of aquatic food webs. They regulate the flow of energy from phytoplankton and bacteria to fish, and can directly or indirectly affect several ecosystem processes, such as the cycling of nutrients, the levels of primary and secondary production, and the transformation of dissolved organic matter. In this module, we investigate how the evolutionary and ecological forces that shape zooplankton communities can affect various biogeochemical processes in aquatic ecosystems. Mesocosm experiments involving three trophic levels (bacteria, zooplankton, fish) will be used to test how the evolutionary histories or specific traits of the involved organisms alter population, foodweb structure, and biochemical processes.

Module 2

Coregonids and Daphnia: ecological stoichiometry, ecosystem and local adaptation in lake ecosystems (Supervisor Hitoshi Araki)

In this module we examine how Coregonids (Whitefish) and Daphnia adapt to local environments in Swiss lake systems. We sample them from various Swiss lakes and estimate their morphologies, C:P, C:N, and P:N ratios and their growth rates in these species. Environmental factors, such as water chemistry and algae nutrient ratio, and genetic factors will also be considered as potential factors that determine the above parameters in the lake systems. 

Module 3

Microbial populations and their controls (Supervisor: Helmut Bürgmann)

Microbes are directly involved in many biochemical processes that mediate nutrient cycling and have an impact on ecosystems functioning. In turn their population structure is influenced by many factors, e.g. the biochemical conditions and predator control. In this module we will use molecular methods to characterize the microbial populations in the systems studied by the other modules (mesocosms, lake water) looking at the general population structure and specific functional traits. We will measure primary production and nutrient composition of phytoplankton / bacterioplankton and assess biomass and nutrient stoichiometry in bacterial biomass.