Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2007

这一行动为NSF 2007财年少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供了资金。该奖学金的目标是增加少数族裔科学家在博士后水平上的参与，并为他们在美国科学领域担任科学领导职位做好准备。为了实现这一目标，该奖学金为最近的博士后获得者提供了高质量的博士后培训和研究机会。预计通过这些奖学金支持的研究员将在未来的劳动力培训中发挥重要作用。这项研究和培训计划的标题是“软蟹在整个蜕皮周期中如何保护自己？反捕食者的策略？”为了生长，像螃蟹这样的节肢动物必须经历一个非凡而危险的过程，完全剥离它们坚硬的外骨骼，并分泌新的外骨骼。在这个蜕皮过程中，许多节肢动物从需要巨大力量才能打破的坚硬盔甲保护，转变为像塑料膜一样容易变形的松软骨架的保护。这种转变使动物特别容易受到捕食。虽然我之前的研究表明，螃蟹在蜕皮后通过切换到流体静力(基于流体的)骨架来保持功能，但令人惊讶的是，人们对这种动物如何在这些关键时间段避免捕食知之甚少。对抗捕食者的策略在坚硬的骨骼上发挥作用，但在柔软的流体静力骨骼上可能不起作用。因此，节肢动物可能进化出了针对这一关键时期的防御策略。这项研究将研究如何在蜕皮期间改变反捕食者的策略，因为水生和陆生螃蟹的骨骼发生了变化。具体地说，我将研究螃蟹是如何阻止捕食者的，特别是通过反捕食者的声音，因为它们外骨骼的机械特性在蜕皮过程中发生了巨大的变化。考虑到骨骼支持的重大变化，我还将研究螃蟹是如何使用运动机制逃离捕食者的。这项研究将有助于理解节肢动物对危险的蜕皮过程的行为适应，这是它们成功入侵地球上几乎每一个栖息地不可或缺的一部分。赞助科学家是加州大学伯克利分校的Sheila Patek博士。培训目标是与几名领先的教职员工合作，学习声学分析、运动学和系统发育的新技术，并开发新的行为、生态和进化研究方法。我将学习演讲技巧，提高我对公共宣传的理解，最终目标是在科学和学术界工作。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.The research and training plan is entitled "How do soft crabs defend themselves? Anti-predator strategies throughout the molt cycle?" In order to grow, arthropods such as crabs must undergo the remarkable and risky process of completely shedding their hard exoskeleton and secreting a new one. During this molting process, many arthropods switch from being protected by a rigid armor that requires significant force to break, to being protected by a flaccid skeleton that deforms as easily as plastic wrap. This transition leaves animals particularly vulnerable to predation. While my previous research has shown that crabs remain functional following molting by switching to a hydrostatic (fluid-based) skeleton, surprisingly little is known about how such animals avoid predation during these critical time periods. Anti-predator strategies that function with a hard skeleton may not function with a soft, hydrostatic skeleton. Arthropods, therefore, may have evolved defensive strategies specific to this critical period. This research will examine how anti-predator strategies are modified during molting as the skeleton changes in aquatic and terrestrial crabs. Specifically, I will examine how crabs deter predators, particularly through anti-predator sounds, given that the mechanical properties of their exoskeleton drastically change during molting. I will also examine how crabs escape predators using locomotor mechanisms, given the major shift in skeletal support. This research will be valuable for understanding the behavioral adaptations that arthropods have made to the risky process of molting, which is integral to their successful invasion of nearly every habitat on the planet. The sponsoring scientist is Dr. Sheila Patek at the University of California at Berkeley.Training goals are to collaborate with several leading faculty members to learn new techniques for acoustic analysis, kinematics, and phylogenetics, and develop new behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary approaches to research. I will learn presentation skills and improve my understanding of public outreach, with the eventual goal of a career in science and academia