Ruiju Tong

Name:             Ruiju Tong
Institute:          Jacobs University
Department:    GeoScience
Phone:            +49-(0)421-2003257
Email:              r.tong@jacobs-university.de

PhD-project title: Benthic Habitat Mapping and Predicting of Lophelia Pertusa in Norwegian Margin

The topic of my PhD research is benthic habitat mapping, predicting and environmental parameters analyzing of Lophelia Pertusa in Norwegian margin. In order to find out where and why Lophelia Pertusa distributes in Norwegian margin, the available datasets are collected and combined. In order to getting more precise predicting, comparing and analyzing results, the two-level method will be adopted that is local scale modeling in 3 typical reefs (Traena Reef, Røst Reef and Sotbakken Reef) and regional scale modeling in whole Norwegian margin. For local scale section, the multi-scale terrain parameters will be computed from bathymetry data and the Lophelia Pertusa occurrence data will be extracted from ROV-based video. The terrain variables and species occurrence data will be combined to predict the suitable habitat for Lophelia Pertusa in each reef, respectively. The predicting results should be compared and analyzed to get the suitable environmental parameters for Lophelia Pertusa in local scale. For regional scale, the multi-scale terrain parameters and other environmental variables (such as bottom current velocity, temperature, salinity, etc.) will be used as predictor variables. The Lophelia Pertusa occurrence data should be collected from literatures and ROV-based video. Combining the predictor variables and occurrence data, the Lophelia Pertusa distribution in Norwegian margin will be predicted and environmental parameters suitable for Lophelia Pertusa will also be analyzed based on the two-level predicting.
 
Start of doctoral thesis: 26.09.2008 | Defence: 21.09.2012
 

Thesis Committee:

Supervisor: Prof. Vikram Unnithan (Jacobs University)
Co-supervisor: Dr. Angela Schäfer (Uni-HB)
Further members: Dr. Nora Hanelt (Hamburg)
                           Res. Eng. Tomas Lundalv (University of Gothenburg)
                           Dr. Anthony J. Grehan (National University of Ireland)

Expeditions:

Irish Margin Cruise, RV Celtic Explorer, 30 August - 21 September 2009.

Distinctions:

CSC stipends from September 26th, 2008 until September 26th, 2011 for research stay at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany.
Attend the GeoHab conference and pre-conference workshop, 2009, in Trondheim