Alexia M. A. DIEVART

‌MSc Candidate (Marine Biology)                   

BSc Université de La Réunion (2016)

MSc, Université de La Réunion (2018)

Email: alexia.dievart@hotmail.fr

Project Title 

The strength and importance of top-down processes on an ecosystem engineered by intertidal invertebrates across distinct bioregions

Mussels are common bioengineers on intertidal rocky shores and support a wide variety of associated species, by buffering thermal and desiccation stresses. However, phototrophic shell-boring endoliths (cyanobacteria and algae), common external parasites of mussels, actively bore into mussel shells, with negative sub-lethal and lethal effects, and surprising beneficial ones: endolithic infestation reduces the body temperature of sun-exposed mussels through the whitening of the shell.
Alexia, will investigate the indirect effects of endolithic infestation on several aspects of mussel ecology and engineering processes, and how these effects may vary spatially and temporally along South African rocky shores

Supervisor: Prof. Christopher McQuaid

Co-Supervisor: Dr Gerardo Zardi

Originally from France, Alexia completed her BSc and MSc at the University of Reunion Island, in a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean (La Réunion). She arrived came to Rhodes University in 2018 to complete her MSc research project. After working for one year as a technical support on alien invasive species in Reunion Island, she returned to Rhodes University to start a PhD.

Research Interests:

Ecosystem engineers
Interactions webs
Intertidal communities
Endolithic parasitism

Links

Recent Publications

Dievart, A., Schartz, C., Bracco, I., Amy, E., Ardon, B., Armand, P., Caceres, S., Lavergne, C., Lecouffe, A., Lequette, B., Manikom, R., Payet, N., Rouget, M., Salamolard, M., Strasberg, D., Triolo, J. (2019).

 

Last Modified: Tue, 21 Jan 2020 11:13:57 SAST