In this post, the team “Community Ecology and Ecotoxicology” offers a master thesis on the influence of Bti mosquito control on the dynamics of juvenile fish in the Rhine river.

Photos by C. Brühl

In a previous project on mosquito control with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), that is toxic for mosquito larvae, we recognized a high sensitivity of midge larvae for Bti, leading to a reduction of midge larvae abundance. Both mosquito and midge larvae are central food resources for fish along the flooded river banks.
This master project has the aim to compare fish monitoring data, specifically species abundances and recruitment success, with Bti applications along the Rhine. Additionally a field experiment can be integrated in the framework of the project.
Candidates should have some background in fish ecology and a sound statistical understanding for the analysis of large data sets.
For more information contact Carsten Brühl.