CRUI: Response of Tropical Marine Symbioses to Environmental Stresses: An Integrated Approach

9711075 Muller-Parker珊瑚礁是高度多样化、多产和经济上重要的群落，依赖于藻类（虫黄藻）和珊瑚之间的共生关系。这项跨学科的合作研究将光学、色素化学和生物学联系起来，将确定热带海葵和珊瑚在暴露于与全球气候变化有关的压力源时，共生关系被破坏的事件顺序。以海葵和珊瑚为研究对象，从三个方面研究珊瑚在紫外线和高温下的漂白过程：1)漂白过程中共生组合光谱的变化；2)虫黄藻光合色素的变化；3)动物-藻类生物量参数和虫黄藻光合性能的变化。项目团队包括科学和科学教育专业的本科生，他们将开发用于实地教学和入门课程的研究项目和课程材料。学院还将开设一门新的跨学科课程，名为“海洋生物与光”，该课程将涉及物理、生物、化学和环境科学的各个方面，并将招收来自所有这些学科的学生。珊瑚礁是海洋的“雨林”。这些高度多样化、多产和经济上重要的群落依赖于藻类和珊瑚之间的共生关系。广泛的珊瑚“白化”（藻类共生体的丧失）归因于与全球气候变化有关的环境压力。本项目将采用跨学科合作的方法，结合光学、色素化学和生物学，研究光合藻类与其动物宿主之间的密切细胞内关系如何受到环境胁迫的影响。该项目还提供了一个整合科学和科学教育项目的模式，让两个学科的本科生参与基础研究和教育材料的开发，从而造福于学校儿童和公众。学院还将开设一门新的跨学科课程，名为“海洋生物与光”，该课程将涉及物理、生物、化学和环境科学的各个方面，并将招收来自所有这些学科的学生。

9711075 Muller-Parker Coral reefs are highly diverse, productive, and economically important communities that depend on the symbiotic association between algae (zooxanthellae) and corals. This collaborative cross-disciplinary study linking optics, chemistry of pigments, and biology will determine the sequence of events during disruption of the symbiosis in tropical anemones and corals during exposure to stressors linked to global climate change. Three aspects of coral bleaching will be studied, using anemones and corals subjected to ultraviolet light and high temperature: 1) changes in the optical spectra of symbiotic associations during bleaching, 2) changes in photosynthetic pigments of zooxanthellae, and 3) changes in animal-algal biomass parameters and photosynthetic performance of zooxanthellae. The project team includes both science and science education undergraduate majors who will develop research projects and curricular materials for use in field teaching and introductory courses. The PIs will also develop a new interdisciplinary course entitled "Marine Life and Light" which will involve aspects of physics, biology, chemistry and environmental science and will include students from all of these disciplines. Coral reefs are the "rain forests" of the ocean. These highly diverse, productive, and economically important communities depend on the symbiotic relationship between algae and corals. Widespread coral "bleaching" (the loss of the algal symbionts) is attributed to environmental stresses linked to global climate change. This project will study how the intimate intracellular relationship between photosynthetic algae and their animal host is affected by environmental stress, using a collaborative and cross- disciplinary team approach linking optics, chemistry of pigments, and biology. This project also provides a model for integrating science and science education programs by involving undergraduates from both disciplines in the basic researc h and in the development of educational materials which will benefit school children and the general public. The PIs will also develop a new interdisciplinary course entitled "Marine Life and Light" which will involve aspects of physics, biology, chemistry and environmental science and will include students from all of these disciplines.