PhD-Project

Coral reefs are threatened by human actions and since they are ecologically and economically important for us it is crucial to protect them. However, as much as we have learnt about adult corals during the last years we still know very little about juvenile corals.

Many benthic marine invertebrates, including corals, disperse as plankton before settlement and metamorphosis. Finding a suitable habitat is crucial for sessile marine invertebrates. The ability of larvae to detect habitat-specific cues has been recognized in a range of phyla, but until recently, only a few studies identified the chemical structure of compounds involved in larval settlement and metamorphosis.

We still know very little about the ecology of juvenile corals even though we have a good idea that it differs from adult corals in terms of sensitivity to stressors and adaptability.

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Qualifications

• Coral ecology : experimental work with juvenile and adult corals and coral larvae, mass coral reproduction (spawners and brooders), cultivation of juvenile and adult corals, sedimentation and temperature stress experiment design, coral settlement
• Microbiology: isolation and cultivation of bacteria from environmental samples
• Molecular Biology: DNA Extraction, PCR, DGGE, Sequencs analysis
• Scientific diving certification: AAUS

Education

• March 2019: Doktoral degree. Thesis:  Early life stages of corals and their relevance for the future of coral reefs
• Since 2014: Member of the graduate school "Science and Technology", "Environmental Science and Biodiversity", Carl-von-Ossietzky-University, Oldenburg
• Since Nov. 2014 PhD candidate, Environmental Biochemistry, working group of Peter Schupp, University of Oldenburg, ICBM Oldenburg (Germany)
• November 2013 Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, thesis title : "Effects of sedimentation on early life stages of the scleractinian coral Acropora surculosa". Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Peter Schupp
• 2011 - 2013 Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg
• September 2010 Bachelor of Science in Biology, thesis title: Effect of differenct bacterial strains on settlement behavior of the scleractinian Leptastrea purpurea
• 2007 - 2008 Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Würzburg

Publications

·         Moeller, M., Nietzer, S., Schils,T. Schupp, P. (2016) Low sediment loads affect survival of coral recruits: the first weeks are crucial, Coral reefs

·         Samuel Nietzer, Mareen Moeller, Makoto Kitamura, Peter Schupp (2018) Coral larvae every day: Leptastrea purpurea, a brooding species that could accelerate coral research. Frontiers of Marine Science, 5:466.

·         Tilmann Harder, Jan Tebben, Mareen Moeller, and Peter J. Schupp (2018) Chemical Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larval Settlement. CRC Press, Melany P. Puglisi, Chemical Ecology.

·         Mareen Moeller, Samuel Nietzer & Peter Schupp (2019) Neuroactive compounds induce larval settlement in the scleractinian coral Leptastrea purpurea, Scientific Reports

Conference/ Symposium

·         Möller, M., Nietzer, S., Schils,T. Schupp, P.(2016) Juvenile corals are affected by low sedimentation rates: the first weeks are crucial, 13th International Coral Reef Symposium, Honolulu

·         Nietzer, S., Möller, M., Kitamura, M. Schupp, P. (2015) The effect of sedimentation on the early life stages of scleractinian corals 5th Coral Reef Ecology Symposium, Bremen
 

·         Möller, M., Nietzer, S., Kitamura, M., Schupp, P. (2015) Natural inducers for larval metamorphosis in scleractinian corals; 5th Coral Reef Ecology Symposium, Bremen

·         Schupp, P.J., Möller, M., Nietzer, S. & Kitamura, M. (2015) Natural Inducers for Larval Metamorphosis in Scleractinian Corals; The 9th European Conference on Marine Natural Products, 2015 Glasgow

&nbs

Languages

• German, native speaker
• English, fluent spoken and written
• French, basic knowledge