Studies on the Ecological Physiology of Midwater Animals

本研究将使用代谢功能的酶指标和呼吸率的直接测量来描述中层水动物的代谢潜力模式，作为发生深度、中层深度氧最小值的存在和体型的函数。初步数据表明，以前的概括生理复杂的基础上，视觉定向鱼类和甲壳类动物一般不适用于微浮游生物和浮游动物的其他类群，在以前的研究中，在很大程度上被忽视。这项研究将使调查范围更广的动物比以前可能的，特别是那些更脆弱的结构，使我们能够扩展的模式的变化的描述代谢潜力的所有主要的中层水组（重点是毛颚类，水母，蠕虫和软体动物和更肤浅的工作，栉水母和管水母）。研究的目的是实现通过这个生态系统的碳通量的合成。该研究的应用将通过收集4100 m加州当前水柱中主要中层动物群体的生物量数据并使用代谢数据来估计该群落中浮游动物和微浮游动物的呼吸碳通量来进行测试。

This study will use enzymatic indicators of metabolic function and direct measurements of respiratory rates to describe the pattern of metabolic potentials of midwater animals as a function of depth of occurrence, the presence of mid-depth oxygen minima, and body size. Preliminary data suggest that previous generalizations based on physiologically complex, visually-orienting fishes and crustaceans are not generally applicable to micronekton and zooplankton of other taxa which have largely been ignored in previous studies. This study will allow investigation of a broader range of animals than previously possible, especially those which are more fragile in structure, enabling us to extend the description of the patterns of variation in metabolic potential to all of the major midwater groups (with emphasis on chaetognaths, medusae, worms and molluscs and more superficial work on ctenophores and siphonophores). The research is directed at achieving a synthesis of the carbon fluxes through this ecosystem. This application of the research will be tested by collecting data on the biomass of the major groups of midwater animals in a 4100 m California Current water column and using the metabolic data to estimate respiratory carbon flux due to zooplankton and micronekton in this community.