REVSYS: A Systematic Framework for Understanding Jellyfish Blooms and Invasive Species: Taxonomy of Semaeostome Scyphomedusae (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa, Samaeostomaeae)

水母数量的迅速增加，即“水母水华”和入侵物种几乎是全球沿海海洋生态系统退化的同义词。因此，它们得到了大多数媒体对水母的关注。尽管如此高调，但对水母水华和入侵物种的理解受到严重阻碍，因为物种往往无法可靠地识别。该项目将开发基于DNA分析的物种识别的定量和统计方法。我们的目标是（1）生成一个强大的方法来识别水母物种和（2）使生物学家，教育工作者，学生和资源管理人员在实验室，教室和现场准确识别的方法和所得数据。除了可靠的识别工具，物种造成水母水华，该项目将建立一个进化框架，解释生物对环境扰动的反应，包括全球气候变化和物种引进。将通过一个网站提供工具和方法、数据和分析的综合，通过帮助管理沿海生态系统和渔业以及促进海洋扫盲，进一步造福社会。该项目将通过在加州大学默塞德的研究生和本科生研究经验，并通过针对加州农村中央谷学区的推广和教育活动，增加少数民族对科学的参与。

Rapid increases in jellyfish abundance, i.e. 'jellyfish blooms', and invasive species are almost synonymous with global degradation of coastal marine ecosystems. As such, they receive most of the media attention given to jellyfish. Despite this high profile, understanding of jellyfish blooms and invasive species is severely hindered because species often cannot be reliably identified. This project will develop quantitative and statistical approaches to species identification based on DNA analyses. The goals are to (1) generate a robust approach to jellyfish species identification and (2) make the approach and resulting data accessible to biologists, educators, students, and resource managers for accurate identifications in the laboratory, classroom, and field. In addition to reliable identification tools for species causing jellyfish blooms, this project will establish an evolutionary framework for interpreting biotic responses to environmental perturbations, including global climate change and species introductions. Tools and a synthesis of methods, data, and analyses will be made available via a website, further benefiting society by aiding in management of coastal ecosystems and fisheries and by contributing to ocean literacy. The project will increase minority participation in science through graduate and undergraduate research experiences at UC Merced and through outreach and education initiatives targeting school districts in California's rural Central Valley.