The Biology of Gelatinous Zooplankton: Investigations on the Trophic Relationships of Salpa thompsoni and Salpa gerlachei in the Southern Ocean

本文报道了两种海鞘，即Thompsoni海鞘和S. gerlachei，发生在 靠近南极半岛的南大洋。 两者都是已知的 形成巨大的花朵，几乎完全占据了生物量。 了解这些物种的生物学知识对于 了解营养关系和全球进程， 发生在南大洋。 该项目将调查 摄食率，排便率，同化效率，生长， 两个物种的繁殖和代谢，以发展 能源预算。 海鞘的行为将在 现场和实验室实验将结合这些领域 意见。 喂食率将在 实验室和现场，并将结果进行比较。 生长、繁殖和新陈代谢将在 实验室 此外， 将使用现场检查和 实验室方法 这些寄生虫的潜在影响 此外，本课程亦会研究海鞘的生长和繁殖。 南极鱼的几个物种将在 实验室研究捕食海鞘和其他胶质 浮游动物 帕尔默站附近的一些鱼 大量吃海鞘 鱼将被喂食已知数量的 凝胶状的猎物，消化率将被确定。 这些 研究将评估识别和量化 凝胶状生物体的遗骸与肠道内容物分析。 这些 研究将提供重要的数据， 在南大洋的海鞘，作为浮游植物的消费者， 也是其他生物的猎物 这些研究是必不可少的 进一步研究招募和人口的前奏 南大洋浮游生物群落的结构。 此外，本发明还提供了一种方法， 本文提出的研究将提供以下基本信息： 海洋浮游动物科普季节性 南大洋丰富的食物资源。

Two species of salps, Salpa thompsoni and S. gerlachei, occur in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic Peninsula. Both are known to form immense blooms that almost entirely dominate the biomass. A knowledge of the biology of these species is essential to understand the trophic relationships and global processes that occur in the Southern Ocean. This project will investigate the feeding rates, defecation rates, assimilation efficiency, growth, reproduction and metabolism of both species, in order to develop an energy budget. The behavior of salps will be studied in the field, and laboratory experiments will incorporate these field observations. Feeding rates will be measured both in the laboratory and in the field, and the results will be compared. Growth, reproduction and metabolism will be measured in the laboratory. In addition, the hyperiid amphipod parasites of salps will be examined using a combination of field and laboratory methods. The potential effect of these parasites on the growth and reproduction of salps will also be considered. Several species of Antarctic fish will be observed in the laboratory to study predation on salps and other gelatinous zooplankton. A number of fish that occur near Palmer Station feed heavily on salps. Fish will be fed known quantities of gelatinous prey, and digestion rates will be determined. These studies will assess the ability to identify and quantify the remains of gelatinous organisms with gut content analyses. These studies will provide important data on the trophic position of salps in the Southern Ocean, both as consumers of phytoplankton and as prey of other organisms. These studies are an essential prelude to further studies on recruitment and population structure in Southern Ocean planktonic communities. In addition, the research proposed herein will provide basic information on the ways in which oceanic zooplankton cope with the seasonally variable food resources of the Southern Ocean.