This year, the researcher received an Ocean Census grant to study Cumacea crustaceans collected from the Gulf of Guinea. The collection was gathered in 2012 and, although a preliminary assessment was carried out for ecological analyses, only a small portion of the material has undergone detailed taxonomic examination. The number of taxa new to science is estimated at 25–30.
The implementation of the project will contribute to a better understanding of the biodiversity of this region and provide a foundation for further research, including studies on biogeography and patterns of organism distribution in this poorly explored area of the tropical Atlantic
– emphasises Dr Anna Stępień.
Ocean Census is a foundation that supports marine and ocean research while promoting knowledge of marine biodiversity. One of its initiatives is an annual grant programme for taxonomists aimed at supporting the discovery and description of new species. As a result, specimens that have been preserved in scientific collections for many years can undergo detailed study and proper identification, while information regarding their occurrence and taxonomic classification is made available through open-access databases.
Dr Anna Stępień is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz. The primary focus of her research is the exploration of the biodiversity of shallow-water crustaceans, mainly from the order Tanaidacea and, more recently, Cumacea. Her scientific interests include taxonomic issues (both traditional taxonomy and approaches combining numerical methods and geometric morphometrics), ecological aspects (habitat preferences and relationships with physicochemical factors), phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical questions, including distribution patterns associated with anthropogenic activity.
Edit and graphics: Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz)
Photo: dr hab. Anna Jażdżewska, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz (Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz)
Source: Dr Anna Stępień (Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz))
