LTER: Long-Term Dynamics of a Coral Reef Ecosystem

珊瑚礁具有重要的生态意义，在所有海洋生境中具有最高的物种多样性，就年度总生产力而言，在所有生态系统中名列前茅。这些群落在结构上得到造礁珊瑚的支持，在营养上得到有效回收的支持。礁系统下的关键生物相互作用是造礁珊瑚和光合虫黄藻之间的互利关系。造礁石珊瑚是功能性的自养生物和异养生物，并从多种来源获得碳。除了生物相互作用，许多其他生物过程受到各种非生物事件的影响，这些事件可以在从毫米到数百公里的空间尺度上运作，并且可以在短到长的时间尺度上变化。珊瑚礁生态系统可能受到各种扰动的影响，从短期和相对局部的扰动，有可能恢复到原始状态，到几十年来气候变化的长期和广泛影响，可能从根本上改变生态系统。据预测，后一种扰动将在今后几十年内造成珊瑚礁生态系统的彻底变化。虽然有珊瑚礁监测计划，描述生态学本身不能阐明这些系统的变化的机械基础。 该奖项将建立一个长期生态研究（LTER）网站，重点是珊瑚礁生态系统的动态，在莫雷阿岛，法属波利尼西亚，加州大学的甘研究站的位置。 这一长期毒性试验将通过长期观察和实验，辅以短期过程研究，估计长期趋势，并解决认识上的主要差距。其目标是更好地了解关键过程，（一）调节生态系统功能，（二）塑造社区结构和多样性，（三）确定丰富和动态的组成种群。这种机械性的理解将有助于更准确地预测珊瑚礁生态系统将如何应对质量上不同类型的环境变化。由20名研究人员组成的团队进行的协调跨学科研究将解决LTER计划的核心问题。拟议的长距离接触试验的核心研究重点包括：（1）造礁石珊瑚（基础珊瑚）生态表现变异的生物学基础;（2）主要珊瑚群的种群动态;（3）食物网和营养动态;以及（4）多样性的维持和功能后果。另外两个研究部分跨越这些主题，将有助于整合和概括主题领域的研究工作。这些是：（a）明确关注多个尺度上的物理-生物耦合（包括但不限于非生物强迫）;（B）建立流体动力学、食物网和生态系统模型，以获得更好的洞察力和预测能力，并进一步指导经验性工作。每个专题领域内的主要问题将通过重点突出、面向进程的研究以及通过长期监测关键的非生物条件和重要的生态系统进程、群落特征和代表性功能生物群体的人口进程加以解决。 更广泛的影响。科学界和公众对珊瑚礁生态系统的养护都有极大的兴趣和关切。该项目将大大增加对这些系统的了解，并因此向负责养护和管理珊瑚礁的政府官员、资源管理人员和其他人提供信息。长期环境影响报告跨地点比较揭示了不同生态系统的普遍性，这将导致更有效地管理一般的自然资源。该项目的科学成果和技术信息将通过网站、科学出版物和介绍以及媒体广泛传播。外联活动将是广泛的，将涉及南加州的K-12计划以及法属波利尼西亚的社区和学校外联活动，以及塔希提大学学生的实习计划（由Atitia中心协调）。来自代表性不足群体（特别是西班牙裔、美洲原住民和太平洋岛屿）的本科生和研究生将参与一个教育和研究培训项目，该项目将加州州立大学北岭分校（少数族裔机构）和加州大学圣巴巴拉分校联系起来，将提供研究培训、团队研究经验和开展跨学科合作研究所需技能的发展。该项目还将从事博士后培训，并将在美国科学家和南太平洋岛国科学家之间建立国际联系。

Coral reefs are of great ecological importance, having the highest species diversity of any marine habitat and ranking near the top of all ecosystems with respect to annual total gross productivity. The communities are supported structurally by reef-building corals and trophically by efficient recycling. The key biotic interaction underlying reef systems is the mutualistic relationship between hermatypic corals and photosynthetic zooxanthellae. Hermatypic corals are both functional autotrophs and heterotrophs and derive carbon from multiple sources. In addition to biotic interactions, numerous other biological processes are influenced by a variety of abiotic events that can operate at spatial scales ranging from millimeters to hundreds of kilometers, and which can vary on short to long time scales. Coral reef ecosystems can be affected by perturbations ranging from short and relatively localized disturbances, where return to the original state is possible, to more chronic, widespread influence of shifts in climate over decades that may fundamentally alter the ecosystem. The latter perturbation is predicted to cause sweeping change in coral reef ecosystems in the coming decades. While there are coral reef monitoring programs, descriptive ecology alone cannot elucidate the mechanistic basis of change in these systems. This award will establish a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site focused on dynamics of coral reef ecosystems, at the island of Moorea, French Polynesia, location of the University of California's Gump Research Station. This LTER will estimate long-term trends and address key gaps in understanding through long-term observations and experiments supplemented by shorter-term process studies. The goals are to better understand key processes that (i) modulate ecosystem function, (ii) shape community structure and diversity, and (iii) determine abundance and dynamics of constituent populations. Such mechanistic understanding will allow more accurate predictions of how coral reef ecosystems will respond to qualitatively different types of environmental change. Coordinated interdisciplinary research by the team of 20 investigators will address issues central to the LTER program. The themes that will form the core research thrusts of the proposed LTER include: (1) the biological bases for variation in ecological performance of hermatypic corals (the foundational group); (2) population dynamics of key groups; (3) food web and nutrient dynamics; and (4) the maintenance and functional consequences of diversity. Two additional research components cut across these themes and will help to integrate and generalize the research endeavors of the thematic areas. These are: (a) an explicit focus on physical - biological coupling (including but not limited to abiotic forcing) over multiple scales; and (b) hydrodynamic, food-web and ecosystem modeling to obtain greater insight and predictive power, and to further guide empirical efforts. Major issues within each thematic area will be addressed through focused, process-oriented studies and by long-term monitoring of key abiotic conditions and important ecosystem processes, community attributes, and demographic processes for representative functional groups of organisms. Broader Impacts. Both the scientific community and the public have tremendous interest in and concern about conservation of coral reef ecosystems. This project will greatly increase understanding of these systems, and as such, will inform government officials, resource managers and others charged with conservation and management of coral reefs. LTER cross-site comparisons that reveal generality across different ecosystems will lead to more effective management of natural resources in general. Scientific findings and technical information from the project will be broadly disseminated through a website, scientific publications and presentations, and in the media. Outreach activities will be extensive, and will involve K-12 programs in Southern California as well as community and school outreach in French Polynesia and an internship program for Tahitian university students (coordinated by the Atitia Center). Undergraduate and graduate students from under-represented groups (particularly Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Island) will be involved in an education and research training program, linking California State University Northridge (a minority institution) and University of California Santa Barbara, that will provide training in research, team research experiences, and development of skills needed to carry out interdisciplinary, collaborative research. The project also will engage in post-doctoral training, and will build international linkages between US scientists and those in South Pacific island nations.