Dr. Myriam Schüller
LS Evolutionsökologie & Biodiversität der Tiere
Biologie & Biotechnologie
NDEF 05/752
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
44780 Bochum
Germany
Tel.: ++49 (0)234-32-28857
Email: click here
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Scientific interest
My main interest lies in the taxon Polychaeta. Polychaeta are one of the major components of the oceans macrobenthos. They are found in all marine habitats from tidal zones to the deep sea. During the last years I have done extensive research on the polychaete diversity in the Antarctic deep sea studying their species richness and distribution patterns. Apart from morphologically determining species and species communities I have described a couple of new species. Taxonomically I’m most specialized in Trichobranchidae and Ampharetidae, two tube-dwelling polychaete families, but studies on other families, such as Opheliidae, Scalibregmatidae, and Sphaerodoridae are also carried out. While studying morphological diversity and distribution patterns I was most interested in understanding the ecological background of found patterns. Currently I’m also investigating the evolutionary history of polychaete communities and selected species in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic deep sea applying molecular methods.
To gain more insight into visit the section ANDEEP-SYSTCO
Current projects
Biodiversity, species richness and phylogeography of the Antarctic Polychaeta and Trichobranchidae and Ampharetidae in special are studied on samples from three expeditions to the deep Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean (ANDEEP I-III, ANDEEP-SYSTCO). The Southern Ocean is characterized by a unique and rich benthic species community. Its special evolution is strongly influenced by Antarctica’s peculiar history: Rapid cooling of the continent and surrounding waters, periodic cycles of glacial and interglacial phases with different degrees of shelf and sea ice forming extent, and onset of a circular current system (Antarctic Circumpolar Current) isolating Antarctic waters from other oceans over 30 Ma, to mention only some aspects. In the DFG-funded project (SCHU2443-2/1-3) a combination of morphological and molecular methods are used to gain insight into the species richness of the deep-sea benthos, driving forces behind species community patterns, speciation processes in the deep sea and distribution pathways in time and space.
Biodiversity of local river systems is investigated for little creeks flowing into the Emscher. The Emscher is considered one of the most polluted rivers in Germany. Its feeder rivers have been used as discharge systems during the last centuries resulting in a disastrous loss of natural faunal communities. In course of the initiated Emscher renaturation led by the Emscher Genossenschaft (a response to the European Waterframework Directive) we are currently trying to characterize and evaluate species communities and biological quality of creeks that were never used for discharge as they will most likely serve as main faunal sources for recolonization processes.
List of publications
Schüller, M. & Wägele, J.-W. (2005). Redescription of Ischyromene lacazei Racovitza, 1908 (Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) from the Mediterranean coast of southern France. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 5, Electronic Supplement. 1-14
Schüller, M. & Hilbig, B. (2007). Three new species of the genus Oligobregma (Polychaeta, Scalibregmatidae) from the Scotia and Weddell Seas (Antarctica). Zootaxa 1391. 35-45
Schüller, M. & Ebbe, B. (2007): Global distributional patterns of selected deep-sea Polychaeta (Annelida) from the Southern Ocean. Deep-Sea Research II, 54. 1737-1751
Schüller, M. (2007): Biodiversity and Zoogeography of the Polychaeta (Annelida) in the deep Weddell Sea (Southern Ocean, Antarctica) and adjacent deep-sea basins. Dissertation. Faculty of Biology, Ruhr-University, Bochum. 1-248
Linse, K., Brandt, A., Bohn, J., Danis, B., de Broyer, C., Heterier, V., Hilbig, B., Janussen, D., López González, P.J., Schüller, M., Schwabe, E., Thomson, M.R.A. (2007). Macro- and megabenthic communities in the bathyal and abyssal Weddell Sea (Southern Ocean). Deep-Sea Research II, 54. 1848-1863
Schüller, M. (2008). New polychaete species collected during the expeditions ANDEEP I, II, and III to the deep Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in the austral summers 2002 and 2005 – Ampharetidae, Opheliidae, and Scalibregmatidae. Zootaxa 1705. 51-68
Schüller, M. (2008). Polychaeta (Annelida) of the Deep Southern Ocean – Biodiversity and Zoogeography. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, 1-209
Schüller, M., Ebbe, B. & Wägele, J.W. (2009). Community structure and diversity of polychaetes (Annelida) in the deep Weddell Sea (Southern Ocean) and adjacent basins. Marine Biodiversity 39(2), 95-108
Brandt, A., Linse, K., & Schüller, M. (2009). Bathymetric distribution of Southern Ocean macrofaunal taxa: Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Isopoda, and Polychaetaa. Deep-Sea Research Part I 56. 2013-2025
Schüller, M. & Hutchings, P.A.. New insights in the taxonomy of Trichobranchidae (Polychaeta) with description of a new Terebellides species. Zootaxa 2395. 1-16
SUBMITTED
Brandt A., De Broyer, C., Ebbe, B., Vanreusel, A., Ellingsen, K.E., Gooday, A.J., Janussen, D., Kaiser, S., Linse, K., Schueller, M., Thomson, M.R.A., Tyler, P.A.. The biodiversity of the deep Southern Ocean benthos. In: Antarctica: An Extreme Environment in a Changing World. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
Brandt, A., Bathmann, U., Brix, S., Cisewski, B., Flores, H., George, K., Göcke, C., Janussen, D., Krägefsky, S., Kruse, S., Leach, H., Linse, K.,Peeken, I., Riehl, T., Sauter, E., Sachs, O., Schüller, M., Schroedl, M., Schwabe, E., Strass, V., van Franeker, J.,. Wilmsen, E.. Maud Rise – A unique spot in the Southern Ocean. In Deep-Sea Research II
Wilmsen, E & Schüller, M.. Community structure, diversity and spacial patterns of Polychaeta in Antarctic and Subantarctic waters along the Greenwich Meridian. In Deep-Sea Research II
Schüller, M.. Evidence for a role of bathymetry and emergence in speciation in Glycera kerguelensis (Glyceridae, Polychaeta) from the deep Eastern Weddell Sea. In Polar Biology
Würzberg, L., Brandt, A., Peters, J. & Schüller, M.. Different lifestyles of deep-seapolychaetes: results from biochemical analyses. In Deep-Sea Research
Non-scientific interest: How I spend my free time
Softball
Soccer
Acting
Rock music, a captivating book, pencil & sketch book, my sofa and I’m happy…