The National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences awarded a $944,394 Project Grant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the Geosciences (47.050) federal grant program. The three-year award will support research to determine the effect of temperature on patterns and processes in rocky subtidal habitats of the Galápagos upwelling system. Specifically, the grantee will measure the temperature dependence of herbivory and carnivory through field experiments on the productivity, standing biomass, and relative effects of temperature, herbivory, and nutrient flux on benthic macroalgae. Additionally, the grantee will conduct in situ predation assays and mesocosm experiments to determine the relationship between ocean temperature and predation intensity for predator-prey pairings. The University will collaborate with Universidad San Francisco de Quito to support this research studying the Galápagos marine ecosystem and the role of temperature, with broader impacts including student training and public outreach.
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