U.S. Thailand Cooperative Research: Feeding Deterrence of Herbivorous Coral Reef Fishes as an Indicator of Chemical Defenses of Tropical Marine Algae

该提案要求资金允许博士。关岛大学海洋实验室的Stephen G. Nelson、Valerie J. Paul和Steven Amesbury将与泰国普吉岛海洋生物中心的Hansa Chansang博士合作开展为期24个月的海洋植物-食草动物相互作用的化学生态学合作研究项目。海洋植物的代谢物将被筛选，以确定它们是否对热带草食性鱼类具有化学防御作用。生物活性代谢物将被分离，化学定义，并进一步研究其有用性质。合作者将验证一个假设，即那些最能阻止珊瑚鱼进食的生物是最丰富的天然产物来源。将进一步研究那些表现出这种威慑作用的代谢物，以确定它们是否具有生物技术工业感兴趣的特性。化学生态学领域已经提供了关于陆地生境中植物-食草动物和其他捕食者-猎物相互作用的有价值的生物学和生态学信息，但对海洋环境中植物代谢物的自然功能知之甚少。研究这些代谢物作为抗菌、防污和/或捕食者威慑剂的作用可能为开发这些化合物的未来应用提供理论依据。从海洋生物中分离出的许多独特代谢物可能是未来生物技术应用的资源。科学家们将把在关岛已经获得的化学和生物学结果与在泰国普吉岛更多样化的珊瑚礁栖息地进行的这些拟议研究的结果进行比较。合作者是本研究领域备受尊敬的科学家。目前的项目将使他们能够结合他们的才能和兴趣，互惠互利。该项目与“发展中国家科学项目”的目标相关，该项目旨在通过科学信息、思想、技能和技术的交流以及在互利问题上的合作，提高美国科学家和工程师与发展中国家同行之间的合作水平。

This proposal requests funds to permit Drs. Stephen G. Nelson, Valerie J. Paul, and Steven Amesbury, Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, to pursue with Dr. Hansa Chansang, Phuket Marine Biological Center, Thailand, for a period of 24 months, a program of cooperative research on the chemical ecology of marine plant-herbivore interactions. Metabolites of marine plants will be screened to determine whether they serve as chemical defenses against tropical herbivorous fishes. The biologically active metabolites will be isolated, chemically defined, and further studied for useful properties. The collaborators will test the hypothesis that those organisms that are most deterrent toward feeding by reef fishes are the richest sources of natural products. Those metabolites that show such deterrence will be studied further to determine whether they possess properties which are of interest to the biotechnological industries. The field of chemical ecology has yielded valuable biological and ecological information about plant-herbivore and other predator-prey interactions in terrestrial habitats, but much less is known about the natural functions of plant metabolites in the marine environment. Investigations of the role of these metabolites as antimicrobial, antifouling, and/or predator deterrent agents may provide a rationale for developing future applications for these compounds. Many unique metabolites isolated from marine organisms may be a resource for future biotechnological applications. The scientists will compare chemical and biological results already obtained on Guam with results of these proposed studies in the more diverse coral reef habitats of Phuket, Thailand. The collaborators are highly respected scientists in the field of this research. The present project will allow them to combine their talents and interests for mutual benefit. This project is relevant to the objectives of the Science in Developing Countries Program which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. scientists and engineers and their counterparts in developing countries through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit.