Miss Mahima Tawal1, Dr Mattia Saccò1, Dr Ben Saunders2, Dr Karina Meredith3, Dr Morten Allentoft4
1Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, 2School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, 3Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Sydney, Australia, 4Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
Biography:
Mahima Tawal completed an undergraduate and master’s degree in biotechnology followed by a Master’s in Conservation Biology. She is a PhD student specialising in groundwater ecology and trophic dynamics at Curtin University. With a focus on subterranean ecosystems, metabarcoding, and climate change impacts, Mahima aims to deepen the understanding of groundwater biodiversity and its ecological functions. Her interdisciplinary research integrates molecular techniques, stable isotope analysis, and hydrological modelling to explore the complex interactions within groundwater systems.
Abstract:
Groundwater is the most abundant source of unfrozen freshwater and is widely used for drinking, agricultural and industrial purposes. Connected to surface water through wetlands, rivers, springs and hyporheic systems, groundwater is also essential for the sustainability of forests and crops. Unfortunately, the ecosystems that groundwaters host face numerous anthropological and climate change-related threats, and their resident biota (stygofauna) are not always efficiently monitored in environmental assessments.
Stygofauna are an integral part of the groundwater ecosystem and are responsible for activities such as grazing and burrowing which help maintain the functional connectivity between aquifers and surface water. However, energy flow patterns and organic matter cycling have not been studied extensively, and eDNA is an efficient tool that can be used to unravel these essential dynamics. In this study, guts of amphipod and copepod species will be targeted through eDNA techniques to assess ingested/resident microbial communities and the intake of other invertebrates such as meiofauna and protists. We will use DNA metabarcoding techniques (Bact16S for microbial and Cytochrome C oxidase Subunit I (COI) markers for invertebrates) to assess the specific dietary patterns of the targeted groups. In combination, stable isotope analysis will be employed to quantify the proportions of those dietary items revealed by eDNA analyses.
Stygofauna are widely used as indicators to investigate environmental changes in groundwaters. By understanding the main energy flow patterns, we will be able to efficiently monitor groundwater ecosystems and assess the effects of potential impacts which may occur due to climate change and contamination.