Dr. Katharina Alter

Meine Forschung zielt darauf ab physiologische Reaktionen und Verhaltensmuster von häufigen Tieren des Gezeitenbereichs und wichtigen kommerziell genutzten Tierarten zu erfassen. Im Besonderen bin ich daran interessiert ob und wie sich Toleranzen von Temperatur, Sauerstoff und pH während der Entwicklung der Meerestiere verändern. Zurzeit ist meine Arbeit auf Ostseearten fokussiert, jedoch wird die Arbeit in einem internationalen Kontext ausgeführt innerhalb der Projekte CLIMAR und FITNESS.  

TERTIARY EDUCATION
University of Tasmania, Australia (2013-2017)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marine Science
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in collaboration with
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
Thesis:
Title: “Why is being a hybrid an advantage? Physiological and behavioural responses of abalone to environmental and farm stress”.
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Peter Frappell, Dr. Nick Elliott, Dr. Timothy Clark, Dr. Sarah Andrewartha, Assist. Prof. Dr. Andrea Morash (external - Mt. Allison University, Canada

University of Bremen, Germany (2004-2012)
Diplom Biologist (Dipl. Biol.) roughly equivalent to the international Master of Science
Department of Biology and Chemistry
 - Major in Marine Biology and Ecology
 - High distinction received for thesis and final exams
 - Semester abroad at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Thesis:
- Thesis completed in collaboration with the Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile (UACh)
- Title: “Physiological responses to oxygen availability during the life cycle of two decapods, considering different developing environments”.
-  Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Hans-Otto Pörtner, Prof. Dr. Kurt Paschke (external - UACh)

OTHER RELEVANT TRAINING AND COURSES
Higher Degree by Research Diploma (2013-2015)
University of Tasmania, Australia
- Grant Proposal Writing, which included an overview of funding bodies in Australia , Europe and the USA as well as preparation of a grant proposal “Optimising growth rates of farmed abalone by understanding interacting effects of environmental fluctuations on heart rates”.
- Animal ethics, which included the introduction of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes and a preparation of an ethics approval application.
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy, which included background information of the research technique and analyses of samples.
Scientific Writing Workshop (2014) Australian Antarctic Division, Australia
Breeding of abalone (2013-2016) Jade Tiger Abalone, Australia (Abalone aquaculture farm in Victoria)

University of Hamburg, Germany (2017 - ongoing)
Post-Doc Position
Institute for Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science
Projects:
-  CLIMAR Climate-driven changes in habitat suitability of marine organisms
-  FITNESS Fish transgenerational adaptative strategies to ocean acidification and warming
-  Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Myron A. Peck

CLIMAR Climate-driven changes in habitat suitability of marine organisms
FITNESS Fish transgenerational adaptative strategies to ocean acidification and warming

1.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Morash AJ, Clark TD, Hellicar AD, Leon RI, Elliott NG (2017) Hybrid abalone are more robust to multi-stressor environments than pure parental species. Aquaculture. 478:25-34

2.      Alter K, Clark TD, Andrewartha SJ, Elliott NG (2017) Thermal preference increases during larval development of pure and hybrid abalone. Journal of Shellfish Research 36(1):141-149

3.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Elliott NG (2016) Hatchery conditions do not negatively impact respiratory response of early life-stage development in Australian hybrid abalone. Journal of Shellfish Research 35(3):585-591

4.      Morash AJ, Alter K (2016) Effects of environmental and farm stress on abalone physiology: perspectives for abalone aquaculture in the face of global climate change. Reviews in Aquaculture 8:342–368

5.      Alter K, Paschke K, Gebauer P, Cumillaf JP, Pörtner HO (2015) Differential physiological responses to oxygen availability in early life stages of decapods developing in distinct environments. Marine Biology 162(5): 1111–1124

6.      Morash AJ, Alter K, Hellicar AD, Andrewartha SJ, Frappell PB, Elliott NG (2014) Quantifying physiological and behavioural responses of cultured abalone to stress events. Australian Seafood CRC. pp. 21

7.      Pöhlmann K, Koenigstein S, Alter K, Abele D, Held C (2011) Heat-shock response and antioxidant defense during air exposure in Patagonian shallow-water limpets from different climatic habitats. Cell Stress and Chaperones 16(6):621–632

Poster

1.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Morash AJ, Frappell PB, Elliott NG (2014) Physiological responses to environmental stress in a mollusc: Why is being a hybrid an advantage? APS Intersociety Meeting, USA

2.      Alter K, Paschke K (2013) Differences of physiological responses to oxygen availability during the development of Lithodes santolla (Anomura: Lithodidae) (in Spanish). 4th Congreso Nacional de Acuicultura, Chile

3.      Alter K, Paschke K (2011) Respiratory response to oxygen limitation during the development of Petrolisthes laevigatus (Anomura: Porcellanidae) (in Spanish). 31st Congreso de Ciencias del Mar, Chile

Vorträge/Talks

1.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Morash AJ, Clark TD, Elliott NG (2016) Physiological and behavioural responses of abalone to warming. Meeting of the Australian Abalone Growers’ Association, Australia

2.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Morash AJ, Frappell PB, Elliott NG (2015) Correlation between heart and metabolic rate of abalones in response to temperature and oxygen level. 9th International Abalone Symposium, South Korea

3.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Elliott NG (2015) Farm conditions allow for optimal growth rates of early life stages of hybrid abalone. 9th International Abalone Symposium, South Korea

4.      Alter K, Andrewartha SJ, Morash AJ, Frappell PB, Elliott NG (2013) Physiological responses to environmental stress in abalone: Why is being a hybrid an advantage? 30th meeting of ANZCPB, Australia