Thanuri Kasthuri Arachchi
PhD student
Variation of nutritional quality and diversity of primary consumers in Arctic and boreal lakes under seasonal changes and terrestrial inputs
Boreal and Arctic lakes have been recognized to have high impacts from increasing effects of anthropogenic and climatic change. As a response to warming, they receive high amounts of allochthonous organic matter, and these inputs are predicted to increase in the coming years causing impacts on aquatic food webs due to intensified lake browning. Another response to warming is that these lakes are experiencing shorter winters and this along with other environmental changes is expected to have an impact on aquatic food webs.
I’m interested in understanding more about aquatic food webs mainly focusing on primary consumers in aquatic ecosystems which includes zooplankton and zoobenthos. They form two key functional groups that may respond to the climate and environmental changes differently, with cascading effects on higher trophic levels and ecosystem services.
Currently in the study of the food webs quality, and quantity of fatty acids (FA) are considered to be a vital aspect. Fatty acids are critical for the health of all organisms and the resource quality of FA, will be affected by climate change and will impact the trophic transfers in aquatic ecosystems.
My research will be an attempt to understand the variation in biomass and nutritional quality of zooplankton and zoobenthos between lake habitats and seasons (summer vs winter) along with the consideration of global environmental changes, with a focus on increased loading of dissolved organic matter and its impact on resources to consumers in boreal and arctic lakes.
I have been studying zooplankton since my bachelor’s degree and was always fascinated by them. When I started my research project with Milla, I found a new field of interest towards zoobenthos. Being able to study these amazing organisms in different regions and seasons is the best thing about my study.