Behavioral Basis of Flood Tide Transport by Crustacean Larvae

大多数浮游动物在发育的某个阶段都经历了垂直迁移。常见的模式包括接近日落的上升和接近日出的下降。最普遍的功能解释是，动物在夜间上升进食，然后在白天下降，以躲避视觉导向的捕食者。最近的研究表明，浮游生物的存在和不存在可以通过快速的行为改变来改变DVM。由于光是DVM最重要的线索，来自捕食者的线索在迁徙过程中的变化应该涉及光反应的变化。Forward博士的研究目标是(1)确定DVM中涉及的光反应是否因视觉和非视觉导向的捕食者的存在而改变，以及(2)确定来自捕食者的化学、视觉和/或机械线索是否会诱导浮游动物光反应的改变。这些研究将对我们基本了解浮游动物、感觉生物学以及与捕食者的相互作用做出重大贡献。

Most zooplankton undergo diel vertical migration (DVM) at some stage of development. The common pattern involves an ascent near sunset and descent near sunrise. The most pervasive functional explanations are the animals rise to feed at night and descend to avoid visually-oriented predators during the day. Recent studies indicate the presence and absence of planktivores can alter DVM through rapid behavioral changes. Since light is the most important cue for DVM, alterations in migration by cues from predators should involve changes in photoresponses. The research objectives in Dr. Forward's investigation are (1) to determine whether photoresponses involved in DVM are altered by the presence or absence of visually- and nonvisually-directed predators, and (2) to determine whether chemical, visual and/or mechanical cues from predators induce alterations in zooplankton photoresponses. These studies will make a significant contribution to our basic understanding of zooplankton sensory biology and interactions with predators.