Relating Diversity of Brood Pouch Structure and Species Susceptability to Environmental Factors

海马科的雄性海马和管鱼有特殊的孕育胚胎的结构，包括一个叫做育儿袋的胎盘状结构。两种亲缘关系较近的管鱼——佛罗里达Syngnathus floridae和fuscus的育雏袋有显著差异。具体来说，这两个物种在雄性和雌性亲本对发育胚胎的蛋白质和脂质贡献方面存在差异。fuscus的发育更多地依赖于雄性亲本通过育儿袋提供的营养，而S. floridae的胚胎更多地依赖于雌性亲本提供给卵子的营养。本研究的目的是利用稳定同位素表征营养物质转移的速率，并利用乳胶模型和扫描电子显微镜跟踪育儿袋血管的生长。我们的研究是第一个探索营养分配和血管模式的育儿袋在这个多样化和有趣的家庭。结果将有助于确定是否密切相关的物种具有相似的育儿袋结构可以有非常不同的胎盘样功能。此外，这项工作将为进一步研究育儿袋形态和功能对物种对缺氧和水生污染物等环境胁迫的敏感性的影响提供基础。一个广泛的外展项目，重点是管道鱼的新繁殖模式及其栖息地，将介绍科学发现的过程，进一步了解河口系统，提高参与的大学预科学生的生物素养。

Male seahorses and pipefishes of the family Syngnathidae have special structures for brooding embryos, including a placental-like structure called the brood pouch. Significant differences have been described in the brood pouch of two closely related pipefishes, Syngnathus floridae and Syngnathus fuscus. Specifically, the species differ in the contribution of proteins and lipids from the male and female parent to developing embryos. Developing S. fuscus rely more on nutrients provided by the male parent via the brood pouch, whereas S. floridae embryos depend more on nutrients supplied to the egg by the female parent. The goal of this research is to characterize the rate of nutrient transfer using stable isotopes and track the growth of brood pouch blood vessels by employing latex casts and scanning electron microscopy. Our studies are among the first to explore nutrient allocation and blood vessel patterns in the brood pouch in this diverse and interesting family. The results will help determine whether closely related species with similar brood pouch structures can have very different placental-like functions. In addition, this work will provide the foundation for future studies aimed at revealing the consequences of brood pouch morphology and function on species-specific sensitivities to environmental stresses such as hypoxia and water-borne contaminants. An extensive outreach project, focused on the novel mode of reproduction in pipefish and their habitat, will introduce the process of scientific discovery, further the understanding of estuarine systems and improve biological literacy for participating pre-college students.