BE/CBC: Quantification and Modeling of DOC and DON Release in Marine Systems: A Study of Increasing Trophic Complexity

本研究的重点是考虑海洋浮游植物所表现出的溶解有机物(DOM)释放过程的范围，描述这些过程如何调节和耦合表层海洋中固定碳和氮物种的循环，并基于实验室和现场控制实验，模拟这些化学物种通过病毒溶解、微型和大型浮游动物放牧以及细菌异养所介导的浮游植物营养结构、群落演替和衰老之间的相互作用。涉及溶解有机碳(DOC)和氮(DON)化合物的生产和消费的一系列假说，将在切萨皮克湾河口和海岸上升流主导的蒙特利湾作为对比物理系统的一系列可操作养殖实验和季节性游轮计划中的每一个进行检验。建模目标包括田间和养殖实验的机械信息模拟，能够描述和预测DOC和DON的组成、分子量和生物有效性作为营养结构和复杂性的函数。相关的教育活动将集中在弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所微型学校计划协调的公共教育计划的背景下，突出这项多学科调查目前的研究努力。这一现有的课程开发计划包含密集的参与性和外展部分，并建议扩大公众了解研究科学家如何处理海洋环境系统中的生物复杂性等当代科学问题的机会。

ABSTRACTOCE-0221825The study focus is to consider the range of dissolved organic matter (DOM) release processes exhibited by marine phytoplankton species, to describe how these processes regulate and couple to the cycling of fixed carbon and nitrogen species in the surface ocean, and to model, based upon both controlled laboratory and field experiments, the interactions of these chemical species between phytoplankton trophic structure, community succession and senescence as mediated by viral lysis, micro and macrozooplankton grazing and bacterial heterotrophy. A series of hypotheses, involving the production and consumption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) compounds, will be tested on each of a series of manipulable culture experiments and a program of seasonal cruises in both estuarine Chesapeake Bay and coastal upwelling dominated Monterey Bay as contrasting physical systems. Modeling objectives include a mechanistically informed simulation of field and culture experiments capable of descriptive and predictive insight as to DOC and DON composition, molecular weight and bio-availability as a function of trophic structure and complexity. Associated educational activities will be centered around highlighting the current research efforts of this multidisciplinary investigation in the context of public education programs coordinated by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences Mini-School program. This existing course development program has intensive participatory and outreach components and proposes to expand the opportunities of the pubic to learn about how contemporary scientific issues such as biocomplexity in marine environmental systems are being approached by research scientists.