U.S.-U.K. Cooperative Research: Control of Benthic Community Structure and Bioturbation by Oxygen in the Arabian Sea

这个为期三年的奖项支持美国和英国在生物海洋学方面的合作研究，研究氧气在阿拉伯海底栖生物过程中的强迫作用。美国调查人员是加州大学圣地亚哥分校的丽莎·莱文，夏威夷大学的克雷格·史密斯，英国调查人员是苏格兰海洋科学协会的约翰·盖奇，海洋科学研究所的托尼·赖斯等人，以及南汉普顿大学的保罗·泰勒。这项研究将从英国“发现号”（RRS Discovery）船上的实地研究开始，随后在美国和英国进行分析工作。美国调查人员将研究大型动物群落结构的变化，以及与之相关的生物扰动的变化，这些变化是对海底氧气梯度的反应。生物扰动将使用自然发生的、粒子相关的放射性示踪剂、色素示踪剂、海底摄影和x射线摄影进行评估。英国调查人员将研究所有动物大小类别的水文、底栖生物群落代谢和群落结构。结果数据将用于测试和改进现有的底栖生物过程模型。该项目利用了英国在不同海洋的专业知识和经验。它还为美国调查人员提供了一个无与伦比的机会，将他们以前对最低氧区和生物扰动的研究扩展到阿拉伯海。这项关于海底底栖生物过程和氧气消耗的研究将促进对全球变暖对海洋生态系统影响的认识和理解。＊＊＊

9414397 Levin This three-year award supports U.S.-United Kingdom cooperative research in biological oceanography on the role of oxygen as a forcing function for benthic processes in the Arabian Sea. The U.S. investigators are Lisa Levin, University of California at San Diego, Craig Smith, University of Hawaii, and the U.K. investigators are John Gage, Scottish Association for Marine Sciences, Tony Rice and others at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, and Paul Tyler of the University of South Hampton. The research will commence with field studies aboard the British ship RRS Discovery to be followed by analytic work in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The U.S. investigators will examine changes in the macrofaunal community structure and associated shifts in bioturbation that occur in response to bottom-water oxygen gradients. Bioturbation will be evaluated using a naturally-occurring, particle- associated radiotracer, pigment tracers, seafloor photography and x-radiography. The British investigators will examine hydrography, benthic community metabolism and community structure of all faunal size categories. Resulting data will be used to test and improve existing models of benthic processes. The project takes advantage of British expertise and experience in different oceans. It also affords the U.S. investigators with an unparalleled opportunity to extend their previous studies of oxygen minimum zones and bioturbation to the Arabian Sea. This study on benthic processes and oxygen depletion in seafloors will advance knowledge and understanding of the effects of global warming on marine ecosystems. ***