U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Species Recognition and Fertilization in Corals of Australian Barrier Reefs

该奖项将使坦普尔大学的理查德·L·米勒博士与澳大利亚汤斯维尔詹姆斯·库克大学的拉塞尔·巴布科克博士、彼得·哈里森先生和贝特·威利斯女士合作研究大堡礁上多物种、大规模繁殖珊瑚的问题。在几个地点进行大规模产卵时收集的卵子和精子将接受实验室观察和操作，以确定(1)是什么阻止两性珊瑚释放的精子/卵束中的自受精，以及(2)当大量物种同时产卵时阻止杂交的机制。卵成熟的时间与产卵有关，将通过直接观察来确定。精子的趋化性及其物种特异性将通过观察精子在接触单一和多个物种的卵子提取物时的行为来评估。珊瑚的大规模多物种产卵是大堡礁生态中的一个重要现象。作为詹姆斯·库克大学珊瑚繁殖组的一部分，澳大利亚调查人员为该项目提供了关于大堡礁珊瑚的广泛工作知识，以及一流的实验室和支持设施。米勒博士是一位经验丰富的发育生物学家，也是精子-卵子趋化性方面的领先专家。

This award will enable collaborative studies between Dr. Richard L. Miller of Temple University and Dr. Russell Babcock, Mr. Peter Harrison and Ms. Bette Willis of the James Cook University, Townsville, Australia related to the multi-species, mass spawning of corals on the Great Barrier Reef. Eggs and sperm collected during mass spawnings at several locations will be subjected to laboratory observation and manipulation to determine (1) what prevents self-fertilization in the sperm/egg bundles released by hermaphroditic corals and (2) the mechanisms which prevent hybridization when large numbers of species spawn simultaneously. The timing of egg maturation in relation to spawning will be determined by direct observation. Sperm chemotaxis, and its species specificity, will be evaluated by observing the behavior of sperm when exposed to single and multiple species' egg extracts. The mass multi-species spawning of corals is an important phenomenon in the ecology of the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian investigators, as part of the Coral Reproduction Group at James Cook University, provide the project with extensive working knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef corals, as well as excellent laboratory and support facilities. Dr. Miller is a seasoned developmental biologist and a leading specialist on sperm-egg chemotaxis.