Growth, Predation and Mortality in Antarctic Foraminifera: Effects on Community Structure

有孔虫是单细胞动物，分泌钙质外壳。从之前对麦克默多湾的研究来看，很明显有孔虫对浅水种群的生物动态有很大的影响。它们大量存在，这也转化为相当大的生物量，并且能够在各种食物来源上快速生长。它们一定是底栖动物的重要组成部分，而底栖动物本身又是海洋生态系统的重要组成部分。本研究的目的是研究南极浅水底栖有孔虫的分布和生态，它们的捕食活动，包括它们所消耗的猎物种类，以及它们如何改变底栖小动物群落的结构。它们捕食大型底栖动物的幼虫也将被研究，因为它们可能通过这种方式很好地控制成年种群的规模。将采用一系列实验技术，包括：在实地操纵丰度以监测对系统其余部分的影响；释放和重新捕获现场有标记的个体；建立可连续观察和随意操作的实验室微观环境。这项研究将对底栖有孔虫在它们丰富的群落中的作用提供更深入的认识。

Foraminifera are single-celled animals which secrete a calcareous shell. From previous studies of McMurdo Sound, it seems clear that foraminifera have a large effect on the biological dynamics in shallow water populations. They are present in great numbers, which also translates into considerable biomass, and are capable of rapid growth on a variety of food sources. They must be an important part of the benthic meiofauna, which is itself a vital part of the benthic marine ecosystem. The objectives of this research are to study the distribution and ecology of important shallow-water Antarctic benthic foraminifera, their predatory activities, including the kinds of prey they consume, and how they modify the structure of the benthic meiofaunal community. Their predation on the larvae of large benthic animals will also be studied, because they may well control the size of adult populations in this way. A series of experimental techniques will be employed, including: manipulation of abundances in the field to monitor effects on the rest of the system; the release and re-capture of marked individuals in the field; and the establishment of laboratory microcosms, which can be continuously observed and manipulated at will. The research will provide a deeper appreciation of the role of benthic foraminifera in the communities in which they are abundant.