Collaborative Research: Oceanographic and Topographic Influences on Dispersal of Hydrothermal Vent Species

合作研究：海洋和地形对热液喷口物种扩散的影响

• 批准号: 0425361
• 负责人: Andreas Thurnherr
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Columbia University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0425361&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Oceanographic; Topographic; Influences

When hydrothermal vent communities were first discovered 25 years ago, biologists immediately recognized the key role of dispersal in the dynamics and persistence of the populations. Despite substantial progress on this topic over the past 10 years, some very important questions remain unanswered about the mechanisms of dispersal and their effects on population dynamics, population genetics and community structure. Investigators have hypothesized that larval dispersal is driven largely by physical transport processes. The primary objectives of this project are to investigate how larval behaviors interact with topographically-influenced flows on mid-ocean ridges, and determine how these interactions affect dispersal trajectories, maximal dispersal distances, and relative probabilities of supply to natal versus remote vents. Three specific ecological questions have been identified: 1. What are the influences of advection and eddy diffusion on the maximal dispersal distance of vent species with given larval life spans?; 2. What are the effects of ontogenetic changes in larval behavior (i.e., vertical positioning) on dispersal distances?; and 3. How are the probabilities that larvae will be lost from the ridge system influenced by topography and flow? Might the axial summit trough inhibit off-axis transport of larvae, and serve as a conduit between habitable vent sites? This project will also address several issues of interest to the physical oceanography community, including: 1. What are the mean and temporally varying flows in the vicinity of a mid-ocean ridge crest, and what is their spatial structure and coherence?; 2. What is the magnitude of the diapycnal diffusivity near the ridge crest?; 3. How rapid is lateral dispersion, and how effective is lateral homogenization by eddy diffusion near the ridge crest? These dispersal questions cannot be answered without an integrated set of physical and biological approaches. A diverse team of observationalists and modelers has been assembled to investigate relevant aspects of ridge-associated oceanography and biology, and to combine the data into a quantitative model of dispersal. The approach includes tracer release in the field, current meter measurements, a hydrodynamic- transport model, measurements of larval positions and stages in the field, and a coupled biological-physical model. The region near 9 50.N on the East Pacific Rise (EPR) has been chosen for the study, a site that has been the focus of much interdisciplinary research in the past and has been selected as an Integrated Study Site by the NSF Ridge 2000 program. Broad impact of this project will be achieved through several different activities. The approaches and results from the project will be incorporated into graduate courses, and into presentations given to local K-12 classes. Two graduate students will be supported, and undergraduates will be integrated through the WHOI Summer Student Fellowship program and the NSF REU program. The research will be linked with web-based outreach efforts including Dive and Discover (www.divediscover.whoi.edu) and Women Exploring the Oceans (http://wexo.whoi.edu/). The long-term benefits of the proposed activity to society will be achieved by contributing to a general understanding of retention, dispersal, and connectivity of marine populations, and a better understanding of seafloor topographic effects on flows and mixing. Vent systems are subject to increasing use by researchers, tourists and industry (e.g., extracting polymetallic minerals, and sampling fauna for natural products discovery and pharmaceutical applications). Project results will inform efforts to develop plans for sustainable use of vent ecosystems.

当25年前首次发现热液喷口群落时，生物学家立即认识到扩散在种群动态和持久性中的关键作用。尽管过去十年来在这一问题上取得了重大进展，但关于扩散机制及其对种群动态、种群遗传学和群落结构的影响的一些非常重要的问题仍然没有得到解答。 研究人员假设，幼虫的扩散主要是由物理运输过程驱动的。 该项目的主要目标是调查幼虫的行为如何与地形影响的流在大洋中脊相互作用，并确定这些相互作用如何影响扩散轨迹，最大扩散距离，以及相对概率的供应与远程喷口出生。 三个具体的生态问题已经确定：1。在给定幼虫寿命的情况下，平流和涡流扩散对喷口物种的最大扩散距离有什么影响？ 2.个体发育变化对幼虫行为的影响是什么（即，垂直定位）的散布距离？和3.受地形和水流的影响，幼鱼从山脊系统中丢失的概率如何？ 可能轴向首脑会议槽抑制离轴运输的幼虫，并作为一个管道之间的可居住的喷口网站？ 该项目还将解决物理海洋学界感兴趣的几个问题，包括：1。大洋中脊脊顶附近的平均流和随时间变化的流是什么？它们的空间结构和相干性是什么？ 2.山脊附近的隔膜扩散率有多大？; 3.横向扩散有多快，脊顶附近涡流扩散的横向均匀化有多有效？ 如果没有一套综合的物理和生物方法，就无法回答这些扩散问题。 已组建了一个由观察员和模型制作者组成的多样化小组，调查与海脊有关的海洋学和生物学的有关方面，并将数据联合收割机纳入扩散的定量模型。该方法包括示踪剂释放在现场，电流计测量，流体动力学运输模型，测量幼虫的位置和阶段在现场，和耦合的生物物理模型。 在东太平洋海隆（EPR）的9 50.N附近的区域已被选定为研究，该网站一直是许多跨学科研究的重点，在过去，并已被选定为综合研究网站的NSF岭2000年计划。该项目的广泛影响将通过几项不同的活动来实现。该项目的方法和结果将纳入研究生课程，并纳入当地K-12班的演讲。两名研究生将得到支持，本科生将通过WHOI暑期学生奖学金计划和NSF REU计划进行整合。这项研究将与网络外联工作联系起来，包括“潜水与发现”（www.divediscover.whoi.edu）和“妇女探索海洋”（http：//wexo.whoi.edu/）。 拟议的活动对社会的长期惠益将通过促进对海洋种群的保留、扩散和连通性的普遍了解，以及更好地了解海底地形对水流和混合的影响来实现。 通风系统受到研究人员、游客和工业（例如，提取多金属矿物，并对动物进行取样，以发现天然产品和制药应用）。 项目成果将为制定喷口生态系统可持续利用计划的工作提供参考。