Evaluating Impacts of Predation by Large, Motile Epifauna on Macrofauna and Meiofauna in the Deep Sea: A Test of Cage Performance

尽管捕食在概念上很重要，但它作为深海生物群落的一种组织力量，基本上还没有被研究过。尽管已知有多种物种是深海中的捕食者，但大型、活动的表动物是本研究的重点，因为它们应该是重要的捕食者，而且一些物种似乎容易受到笼子实验操作的影响。本研究分为两部分。本提案要求支持调查深海中笼子的性能。根据所获得的知识，我们将通过进行充分无笼实验来提出对捕食者效应的后续调查。这些调查的结果应该广泛适用，因为大型的、活动的表层动物出现在大多数深海群落中。

Thistle and Eckman Despite its conceptual importance, predation as an organizing force in deep-sea communities is essentially unstudied. Although a variety of species are known to be predators in the deep sea, the large, motile epifauna are the focus of this study because they should be important predators and some species appear to be susceptible to experimental manipulations with cages. The research consists of two parts. The present proposal requests support to investigate cage performance in the deep sea. With the knowledge gained, we will propose a follow-up investigation of predator effects by conducting experiments sufficiency free of cage. The results of these investigations should be widely applicable because large, motile epifauna occur in most deep-sea communities.