SGER-Exploratory Testing of Intra-Crystalline Amino Acids as a Skeletal Record of Past Coral Bleaching Events

记录过去的白化事件和当代环境状况，对于了解未来气候变化的影响和为珊瑚礁生态系统制定管理战略至关重要。在这个跨学科的项目中，研究人员将测试长寿大型珊瑚骨骼中晶体内氨基酸的组成和降解情况，作为过去漂白事件的潜在示踪物。这项研究的目标是在1998年2月记录在案的大堡礁大规模珊瑚白化事件之前、期间和之后的Porites骨骼中，以每两周一次的分辨率表征晶体内氨基酸的特征。预计将发现与漂白事件相关的氨基酸异常的特征模式，然后可用作过去漂白事件的生物标记物。珊瑚压力生物标记物的成功识别将促进对过去珊瑚漂白的原因、漂白频率和严重程度以及后果的研究。更广泛的影响包括博士后和本科生培训。

Records of past bleaching events, and contemporary environmental conditions, are key to understanding the impact of future climate change and preparing management strategies for coral reef ecosystems. In this interdisciplinary project, the investigators will test the intra-crystalline amino acid composition and degradation in long-lived massive coral skeletons as a potential tracer of past bleaching events. The goal of the research is to characterize the intra-crystalline amino acids, at fortnightly resolution, in a Porites skeleton laid down before, during, and after the well-documented Great Barrier Reef mass coral bleaching event in February 1998. It is anticipated that a characteristic pattern of amino acid anomalies will be found associated with the bleaching event, which can then be used as a biomarker of past bleaching events. The successful identification of a 'coral stress biomarker' will catalyze research into the causes of past coral bleaching, bleaching frequency and severity, and the consequences. The broader impacts include post-doctoral and undergraduate training.