Sabbatical Luc Brendonck: Ecology, evolution, conservation and ecotoxicology of temporary aquatic systems

During my research sabbatical I will collaborate with expert teams in Spain (UV and CSIC) and South Africa (NWU). As part of ongoing projects I will jointly study topics that belong to the core of my research portfolio. With teams at CSIC and NWU I will study the ecology of temporary wetlands by combined field work and experimental approaches. With the CSIC team I will focus on the ongoing impact of climate change on abiotic and biotic characteristics (including exotic species) of Mediterranean temporary ponds. With a NWU team I will experimentally study the processes that allow coexistence between large branchiopods and indigenous predatory killifish. With the teams at UV and CSIC I will assess aspects of the ecology and evolution of dormant egg banks in zooplankton and large branchiopods. With the team at UV I will measure the dispersal rate of dormant eggs of key species from temporary wetlands in relation to meteorological conditions, egg type, type of habitat and sexual investment of the species. With a CISC team we will make use of resurrection ecological approaches to study archives of dormant brine shrimp eggs from systems with a different pollution history to unravel patterns of adaptation to different pollution trajectories. With the team at NWU I will study the ecotoxicological impact of pesticides used for malaria vector control on the killifish Nothobranchius furzeri as part of an Adverse Outcomes Pathway Framework which should lead to optimized risk management of a biodiversity hotspot region. I will also organise a mini-symposium on temporary wetlands during the yearly annual conference of the Southern African Society of Aquatic Sciences.My planned activities will yield data for at least six common papers with the respective research groups, but also a research project proposal and ample ideas for extended future collaboration.