Predators are main drivers of ecological and evolutionary dynamics of prey populations and often fulfill a keystone role in food webs. Variable presence of predators has led to evolution of inducible antipredator defenses in a variety of taxa, involving behavioural, physiological, morphological and life history characteristics. Predator induced changes may, in turn, affect community assembly and evolutionary trajectories of populations by shifting competitive ranks among species and genotypes. In this project we will study predator-prey interactions in an aquatic model system with the notostracan Triops as keystone predator and its branchiopod prey. We will study inducible antipredator strategies in selected prey species (Daphnia and Chirocephalus) and contrast patterns of local adaptation among habitats with variable predator pressure, hydrology and connectivity. With this application we hope to acquire the permission to collect in Doñana all samples necessary to reach this research goal. The proposedresearch may yield important insights in the evolution of antipredator traits within the framework of evolving metacommunities