Dr Adrian Glover

Research

Latest news!

March 2011 - I have just returned from a long research cruise to the Bransfield Straight and Scotia Sea, Antarctica with the ship RRS James Cook and the project 'ChESso'. We sampled deep-sea sediments in and around hydrothermal vents of the Bransfield Straight, discovered a natural whale- fall and re-surveyed hydrothermal vents in the Scotia Sea that were discovered in 2009 with the RRS James Clark Ross.

Clarence Island, Antarctica

 

Dec 2010 - I have become involved in a new international scientific network set up to assist collaborative projects studying deep-sea ecosystems, called INDEEP. 

Oct 2010 - Feb 2011 - Some links to recent publications! A long review paper on temporal change in deep-sea ecosystems. A paper on some fascinating 're-discovered' old data on whale bone content. A detailed study of a single hydrothermal vent edifice on the mid-Atlantic Ridge. A review of the unusual polychaete clade Siboglinidae, formerly known as the Pogonophora and Vestimentifera. A paper on the use of natural history collections for climate change research.

About me

I am a marine biologist interested in the ecology, biodiversity and evolutionary origin of polychaetes, which are marine segmented worms belonging to the clade Annelida. Polychaetes are extraordinarily diverse in the deep-sea, the largest yet most poorly sampled environment on the planet. My research has focused on four areas - systematics and evolutionary novelty of polychaetes at chemosynthetic ecosystems ('whale-falls', hydrothermal vents and cold seeps), biodiversity of polychaetes on the abyssal plains and deep-sea slope, temporal changes in high-latitude environments (e.g. Antarctica), and environmental impacts in the deep sea.

This is my basic CV and home page. I also run a 'web 2.0' style site for polychaete taxonomists called polychaetes.info - supported by the NHM-led EDIT-Scratchpad project.

My current projects include:

• A combined molecular and morphological taxonomic approach to understanding the evolutionary origin and diversity of annelids at chemosynthetic ecosystems (e.g. hydrothermal vents, whale-falls and wood-falls)
  
• The novel annelid clade, Osedax, including its phylogenetic position, functional anatomy and patterns of larval development and dispersal ability.
  
• Large-scale patterns of biodiversity and biogeography in the deep sea. We are currently working on samples from the central Pacific abyssal plain, the North-East Atlantic abyssal plain, and the deep canyon systems of the Portuguese margin in collaboration with many scientists from the EU and USA.
  
• Temporal changes in high-latitude ecosystems (i.e Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean), and responses to global climate change. We are investigating the potential importance of benthic-pelagic coupling on the Antarctic shelf, and the effect of a shifts in the seasonal food supply to benthic animals (including the abundant polychaetes) using a long time-series study.
  
• Human impacts in the deep sea. Although remote and seemingly immune to terrestrial and shallow-water impacts, the deep-sea is starting to be affected by human activities. These include climate change, deep-sea disposal, deep-sea fisheries, and oil exploration. Future activities that may impact the deep-sea include deep-sea mining, carbon dioxide sequestration and ocean acidification.
  

  Balaenoptera bonaerensis (Antarctic minke whale)

• The genetics of ancient whale populations. The NHM holds an outstanding collection of marine mammal skeletal material, which we are sampling for DNA using ancient DNA methodologies. This allows us to examine the genetics of whale from several hundred years ago, before the impacts of 20th century industrial whaling.

I am currently being funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the European Union (Science Framework 6 and 7), and internal research grants from the Natural History Museum, which is funded by the UK Government.

If there are opportunities to join our research group, I will advertise them here. I supervise graduate student projects both at MSc and PhD (e.g NERC-CASE) level in co-operation with UK University supervisors, subject to funding becoming available.

Vacancies:

Although I currently do not have any vacancies for paid work, I am always interested to take on graduate students. We offer an in-house post-graduate course at the NHM on taxonomy and biodiversity, as well as acting as a  CASE partner for Research Council funded PhD students.

Biography

Sampling in Antarctica from the RRS James Clark Ross

2003 – present Researcher, Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, London.

2000 – 2003 Post-doctoral Research Assistant, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, USA

2000 PhD, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton

1996 BSc, Biology Department, University of York

Deploying a Speere ROV with Thomas Dahlgren

Teaching

Details on my teaching activities including course lectures

Teaching polychaete taxonomy to students at University of the Western Cape, South Africa

TOL/L11: Annelid biodiversity and systematics. MSc course, ‘Advanced Methods in Biodiversity and Systematics’. Download lectures.

Royal Society Teaching Workshop: Introduction to Polychaete Taxonomy. (I hope to create a separate site for this teaching workshop, held at the University of Western Cape in January 2007).

Queen Mary, University of London - Deep-Sea Benthic Biological Oceanography. Final year module. This course is no longer offered, but I hope to find a new home for it soon.

Downloads

I intend to use this area for downloads and interesting links.

Check out our live underwater camera that is currently situated at about 10m water depth in a small fjord off the coast of Sweden. The camera is currently looking at a whale bone we placed on the seafloor to try to collect specimens of the strange 'bone-eating worm' Osedax.

The underwater observatory being lowered into the water, May 2009

 We have used the camera system for several outreach projects including live links to the Attenborough Studio in London. We have also published a paper on a research project that uses the camera to collect useful data. Whilst the quality of the images is not always that high (thanks to many fouling organisms) we have an amazingly high-resolution temporal dataset, something that is usually very difficult to get in the marine environment.

Note that it may not be always working owing to a variety of reasons such as software glitches, flooding of the camera housing or sudden infestation of barnacles. You can rest assured that our collaborators at the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences, Sweden will be hard at work trying to fix it.

I intend to put files to download here as and when I think of something useful. Anything related to teaching materials I have put in the teaching tab above. 

In the meantime, please check out our website polychaetes.info where we are uploading taxonomic information produced in our lab to a searchable and editable database available to the public.

You can now also search the Zoology Department Specimen Collection which is in the process of being databased by the curation group here in the department using the KE EMu software. For enquiries about specimen loans, please contact Emma Sherlock. 

Collecting whale-bones from a sperm whale stranding near Hull. Unfortunately this specimen was too large to fit in the museum vehicle.

People

Research Group

Helena Wiklund - Post-doc - Helena is funded by an EU Marie-Curie research grant to study deep-sea dispersal and evolution in annelids. 

Diva Amon - PhD Student. Diva is on a joint studentship between the University of Southampton and the NHM and is studying whale-falls and wood-falls from the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic.

Nicholas Higgs - PhD Student. Nick is a NERC-CASE funded PhD student jointly between the NHM and the University of Leeds, working on whale-falls, whale taphonomy, boring by Osedax, bone bioerosion and whale palaeontology.

Lenka Neal - Research Assistant - Lenka is working on a research project studying the ecology, biodiversity and taxonomy of Antarctic polychaetes after completing her MSc course at the NHM.

Margaret Packer - Laboratory Manager & Research Assistant. Margaret is responsible for maintaining the research labs for the polychaete and nematode research groups, including our microscopy facilities (Leica DM5000, Zeiss V.20, Leica MZ95, Leica MZ6) and sorting laboratories. Margaret also assists with research projects.

Affiliated Students / Post-docs

Daphne Cuvelier - PhD student at the University of the Azores. Daphne is studying hydrothermal vent biology.

Dr Caroline Verna - Caroline has just completed her PhD on Osedax microbial symbionts at the Max Planck Institute, Bremen!!

External collaborators

This is a very incomplete list of people I have recently been collaborating and publishing with. Work in progress!

Dr Thomas Dahlgren, University of Gothenburg

Prof Craig Smith, University of Hawaii

Dr Cecilia Anderung

Dr Ana Hilário, University of Aveiro

Dr Nicole Dubilier, MPI Bremen

Dr Ken Halanych, Auburn University

Dr Crispin Little, University of Leeds

Dr Jon Copley, University of Southampton

Prof Paul Tyler, University of Southampton

Prof Andy Gooday, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

Dr Kirsty Kemp, Institute of Zoology, London

Dr Kim Last, Scottish Association of Marine Science

Dr Alan Jamieson, OceanLab, University of Aberdeen

Dr Sarah Mincks, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Dr Henry Ruhl, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

Publications

Updated Mar 2011

Summary

Peer-reviewed Publications: 31

Consultancy Reports: 4

Popular Science Articles: 4

Total: 39

(Not including submitted/in press, indicated by XX below)

Publications

2010/11

XX. Danise S., Dominici S., Dahlgren T., Glover A.G (submitted) Molluscs from a shallow-water whale-fall in the North Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series

XX. Neal, L., Hardy, S.L, Smith, C.R., Glover, A.G. (in press) Polychaete species diversity on the West Antarctic Peninsula deep continental shelf. Marine Ecology Progress Series

31. Hilário, A., Capa, M., Dahlgren, T.G., Halanych, K.M., Little, C.T.S., Thornhill, D.J., Verna, C., Glover, A.G. New perspectives on the ecology and evolution of siboglinid tubeworms. PLoSone

30. Johnson, K., Brooks, S., Fenberg, P., Glover, A.G., James, K., Lister, A., Michel, E., Spencer, M., Todd, J., Valsami-Jones, E., Young, J., Stewart, J. (2011) Climate change and biosphere response: unlocking the collections vault. Biosciences 61, 147-153 

29. Cuvelier, D., Sarradin, P-M., Sarrazin, J., Colaço, A., Copley, J.T., Desbruyères, D., Glover, A.G., Serrao Santos R., Tyler, P.A. (2011) Hydrothermal faunal assemblages and habitat characterisation at the Mid-Atlantic Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike vent field). Marine Ecology

28. Ebbe, B., Billett, D.S.M., Brandt, A., Ellingsen, K., Glover, A.G, Keller, S., Malyutina, M., Martinez Arbizu, P., Molodtsova, T., Rex, M., Smith, C. & A. Tselepides. (2010). Chapter 8. Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life. Pp. 139-160 in: A.D. McIntyre (ed), Life in the World's Oceans. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 361 pp.

27. Glover A.G., Gooday A.J., Bailey D.M., Billett D.S.M., Chevaldonné P., Colaço A., Copley J., Cuvelier D., Desbruyères D., Kalogeropoulou V., Klages M., Lampadariou N., Lejeusne C., Mestre N.C., Paterson G.L.J., Perez T., Ruhl H.A., Sarrazin J., Soltwedel T., Soto E.H., Thatje S., Tselepides A., Van Gaever S. and Vanreusel A. (2010). Temporal change in deep-sea benthic ecosystems: a review of the evidence from recent time-series studies. Advances in Marine Biology 58, 1-95

26. Glover A. G., Higgs N. D., Bagley P. M., Carlsson R., Davies A. J., Kemp K. M., Last K. S., Norling K., Rosenberg R., Wallin K. A., Källström B. & Dahlgren T. G. (2010). A live video observatory reveals temporal processes at a shelf-depth whale-fall. Cahiers De Biologie Marine 51, 375-381

25. Verna, C., Ramette, A., Wiklund, H., Dahlgren, T.G., Glover, A.G., Gaill, F., Dubilier, N. (2010) High symbiont diversity in the bone-eating worm Osedax mucofloris from shallow whale-falls in the North Atlantic. Environmental Microbiology 12, 2355-2370

24. Higgs N., Little C.T.S, Glover A.G. (2011) Bones as biofuel: a review of whale bone composition with implications for deep-sea biology and palaeoanthropology. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B 278, 9-17

23. Higgs N. D., Glover A. G., Dahlgren T. G. & Little C. T. S. (2010). Using computed-tomography to document borings by Osedax mucofloris in whale bone. Cahiers De Biologie Marine 51, 401-40

2009/10

XX. MacNeil A. M., Caley J. M., Connolly S. R., Cripps E., Amaral Zettler L., Martinez Arbizu P., Benedetti-Cecchi L., Bhattacharya B. D., Bouchet P., Brainard R. E., Bulleri F., Cribb T., Glover A. G., Huettmann F., Knowlton N., Linse K., McKinnon A. D., Maggi E., Poore G. C. B., Sarkar S. K., Satpathy K. K., Schückel U., Sogin M. L., Stocks K. I., Williams A. & Wilson R. W. (submitted) The global ecology of rarity in the oceans. Science.

XX. Cunha, M.R, Paterson, G.L.J, Alves, D., Amaro, T., Blackbird, S., de Stigter, H., Ferreira, C., Glover, A.G., Hilario, A., Kiriakoulakis, K., Neal, L., Ravara, A., Rodrigues, C.F., Tiago, A., Billett, D.S.M. (submitted) Biodiversity of macrofauna assemblages from three Portuguese submarine canyons (NE Atlantic). Deep-Sea Research I

XX. Paterson, G.L.J, Glover, A.G., da Cunha, M., Neal, L., de Stigter, H., Kiriakoulakis, K., Billett, D.S.M., Wolff, G., Tiago, A., Ravara, A., Hilario, A., Lamont, P., Tyler, P.A. (submitted) Disturbance, productivity and diversity in deep-sea canyons: a worm’s eye view. Deep-Sea Research I

XX. Cuvelier, D., Sarrazin, J., Colaço, A., Copley, J., , Glover, A.G., Tyler, P.A., Serrao Santos, R. Desbruyères, D. (submitted) Community dynamics over 14 years at the Eiffel Tower hydrothermal edifice on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Limnology & Oceanography

22. Cuvelier, D., Sarrazin, J., Colaço, A., Copley, J., Desbruyères, D., Glover, A.G., Tyler, P.A., Serrao Santos, R. (2009) Distribution and spatial variation of hydrothermal faunal assemblages at Lucky Strike (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) revealed by high-resolution video image analysis. Deep-Sea Research I 56, 2026-2040

21. Paterson, G.L.J., Doner, S., Budaeva, N., Barrio-Frojan, C., Chimonides, P.J., Glover, A.G. , Whitaker, A. (2009). A census of abyssal polychaetes. Deep-Sea Research II 56, 1739-1746

20. Wiklund, H., Glover, A.G., Dahlgren, T.G. (2009) Three new Ophryotrocha (Annelida: Dorvilleidae) species from a whale-fall in the north-east Atlantic. Zootaxa 2228, 43-56

2008/9

19. Wiklund, H., Glover, A.G., Johannessen, P.J. , Dahlgren, T.G. (2009). Cryptic speciation at organic-rich marine habitats: a new bacteriovore annelid from whale-fall and fish farms in the North East Atlantic. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155, 774-785

18. Glover, A.G., Sundberg, P., Dahlgren, T.G. (2009) In Linnaeus’ wake: three hundred years of marine discovery. Zoologica Scripta 38 (Suppl 1), 1-6

17. Mincks, S.L., Dyal, P., Paterson, G.L.J. , Smith, C.R., Glover, A.G. (2009). A new species of Aurospio (Polychaeta, Spionidae) from the Antarctic shelf, with analysis of its ecology, reproductive biology and evolutionary history. Marine Ecology 30, 181-197

16. Sumida, P.Y.G, Bernardino, A.F., Stedall, V.P., Glover, A.G., Smith, C.R. (2008) Temporal changes in benthic megafaunal abundance and composition across the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf: results from video surveys. Deep-Sea Research Part II 55, 2465-2477

15. Glover, A.G., Smith, C.R., Mincks, S., Sumida, P., Thurber, A. (2008) Macrofaunal abundance and composition on the West Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf: evidence for a sediment ‘food bank’ and similarities to deep-sea habitats. Deep-Sea Research Part II 55, 2491-2501

14. Glover, A.G., Kemp, K.M., Smith, C.R., Dahlgren, T.G. (2008) On the role of bone-eating worms in the degradation of marine vertebrate remains. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B 275, 1959-1961

13. Smith, C.R., Levin, L.A., Koslow, A., Tyler, P.A., Glover, A.G. (2008) The near future of deep seafloor ecosystems. In: Aquatic Ecosystems: Trends and Global Prospects, Ed. Polunin, N. Cambridge University Press.

2007/8 (and earlier)

12. Dahlgren, T.G., Wiklund, H., Källström, B., Lundälv, T., Smith, C.R., Glover, A.G. (2006). A shallow-water whale-fall experiment  in the north Atlantic. Cahiers De Biologie Marine 47, 385-389

11. Paterson, G.L.J., Glover, A.G., Tilman, C. (2006) Body size response of abyssal polychaetes to different nutrient regimes. Scientia Marina December 2006, 319-330

10. Glover, A.G., Dahlgren, T., Goetze, E., Smith, C.R. (2005) Morphology, reproductive biology and population genetics of the whale-fall and hydrothermal vent specialist, Bathykurila guaymasensis Pettibone, 1989 (Annelida: Polynoidae).  Marine Ecology 26, 223-234

9. Glover, A.G., Källström, B., Smith, C.R., Dahlgren, T. (2005) World-wide whale worms? A new species of Osedax from the shallow north Atlantic.  Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B 272, 2587-2592

8. Dahlgren, T., Glover, A.G., Smith, C.R., Baco, A. (2004) Fauna of whale falls: systematics and ecology of a new polychaete (Annelida: Chrysopetalidae) from the deep Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea Research I 51:1873-1887

7. Glover A.G. & Smith, C.R. (2003) The deep-sea floor ecosystem: current status and prospects for anthropogenic change by the year 2025. Environmental Conservation 30(3):219-241

6. Glover, A.G., Smith, C.R., Paterson, G.L.J., Wilson, G.D.F., Hawkins, L., Sheader, M. (2002) Polychaete species diversity in the central Pacific abyss: local and regional patterns, and relationships with productivity Marine Ecology Progress Series 240, 157-170

5. Smith, C.R., Baco, A.R., Glover, A.G. (2002) Faunal succession on replicate deep-sea whale falls: time scales and vent-seep relationships. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 43, 293-297.

4. Glover, A.G., Paterson, G.L.J., Bett, B., Gage, J., Sibuet, M., Sheader, M. and Hawkins, L. (2001) Patterns in polychaete abundance and diversity from the Madeira Abyssal Plain, north-east Atlantic. Deep-Sea Research I 48, 217-236.

3. Lambshead, P.J.D., Tietjen, J., Glover, A.G., Ferrero, T., Thistle, D. and Gooday, A. (2001) The impact of large-scale natural physical disturbance on the diversity of deep-sea north Atlantic nematodes. Marine Ecology Progress Series 214, 121-126.

2. Paterson, G.L.J. and Glover, A.G. (2000) A new species of Sigambra (Polychaeta, Pilargidae) from the abyssal plains of the NE Atlantic. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum (Zoology Series) 66, (2), 167-170.

1. Glover, A.G., Paterson, G.L.J., Gage, J.D., Hawkins, L., Sheader, M. (2000) Scales of polychaete biodiversity from the abyssal north Atlantic. Bulletin of Marine Science 67 (1), 664.

Popular Science

Glover, A.G. (2009) Don’t blubber, it’s biology. New Statesman, October 22, 2009

Glover, A.G. (2008) Beneath the ice. New Statesman, October 23, 2008

Glover, A.G. (2008) On the bed of the deep, deep sea. Times Literary Supplement, March 21 2008 No. 5477.

Glover, A.G. (2007) Whale-fall. Planet Earth, Autumn 2007, 14-15

Glover, A.G. (2000) Here's mud in your eye! New Scientist 167, 48-49.