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

该奖项将支持坦普尔大学的Richard L. Miller博士与澳大利亚汤斯维尔詹姆斯库克大学的Russell Babcock博士、Peter Harrison先生和Bette Willis女士之间的合作研究，这些研究与大堡礁上珊瑚的多物种大规模产卵有关。在多个地点收集的大量产卵卵和精子将进行实验室观察和操作，以确定(1)雌雄同体珊瑚释放的精子/卵子束中阻碍自受精的原因；(2)当大量物种同时产卵时阻止杂交的机制。与产卵有关的卵子成熟时间将由直接观察确定。精子趋化性及其物种特异性将通过观察精子暴露于单一和多物种卵子提取物时的行为来评估。珊瑚的大量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小组的一部分，澳大利亚调查人员为该项目提供了有关大堡礁珊瑚的广泛工作知识，以及优秀的实验室和支持设施。Miller博士是一位经验丰富的发育生物学家，也是精卵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.