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

该奖项将使理查德L。 天普大学的米勒和拉塞尔·巴布科克博士、彼得先生 哈里森和詹姆斯库克大学的贝蒂威利斯女士， 汤斯维尔，澳大利亚有关的多物种，大规模产卵 大堡礁的珊瑚礁。 收集的卵子和精子 在几个地点的大量产卵期间， 实验室观察和操作以确定（1）什么 阻止精子/卵束的自受精， 两性珊瑚和（2）防止机制 大量物种同时产卵的杂交。 与产卵有关的卵子成熟时间将是 通过直接观察确定。 精子的趋化性及其 种属特异性，将通过观察 精子暴露在单一和多个物种的卵子提取物中。 珊瑚的多品种产卵是一个重要的 这是大堡礁生态学中的一个现象。 的 澳大利亚的研究人员，作为珊瑚繁殖小组的一部分， 在詹姆斯库克大学，为项目提供广泛的 大堡礁珊瑚的工作知识，以及 优秀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， 精卵趋化性

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.