Collaborative Research: Possible Climate-induced Change in the Distribution of Pleuragramma Antarcticum on the Western Antarctic Peninsula Shelf.

智力优势：Pleuragramma anacuticum，南极银鱼，在南极沿海生态系统的营养金字塔中发挥着关键作用，是大型鱼类，飞行和非飞行海鸟，鳍足类和鲸鱼的食物。反过来，它们是沿海磷虾类的捕食者，包括Euphausia superba和crystallorophias。从历史上看，侧耳一直是西南极半岛（WAP）阿德利企鹅的重要食物来源，但在过去的十年中，侧耳已经从阿德利企鹅的饮食中消失了。我们建议Pleuragramma？在南极的春天，海冰冠层作为卵和幼虫的托儿所，减少了北极熊在顶级捕食者的食物中的存在。 这项研究将调查WAP大陆架上的四种水文状况，具有以下特点：（1）持续的回旋流，起到留住当地产卵的幼虫的作用，（2）近年来春季海冰减少，（3）成年银鱼的普遍性，以及（4）存在繁殖的阿德利企鹅，它们的饮食在银鱼消费的比例上各不相同。 这项研究将通过分析鱼类的种群结构、耳石微化学和分子遗传学，评估当地繁殖与幼虫平流的重要性，以及研究分区的种群在遗传上的不同程度。 Pleuragramma数据将与按天气学采集的企鹅饮食样本进行比较。更广泛的影响：这项拟议中的研究汇集了一组具有高度互补技能的国际科学家，以解决WAP货架上Pleuragramma的命运。研究生将使用获得的数据作为他们博士研究的一部分，并将接受鸟类学领域技术，分子遗传学方法和耳石同位素化学的交叉培训。 PI将与《彼得堡时报》积极合作，在真实的时间内制作一个带有图片和文字的博客，当我们在海上和返回后，它将用于与当地学校互动。研究人员还将与USF的COSEE中心以及当地学校和博物馆合作，向整个地区的K-12社区传播研究结果。

Intellectual Merit: Pleuragramma antarcticum, the Antarctic silverfish, play a key role in the trophic pyramid of the Antarctic coastal ecosystem, acting as food for larger fishes, flying and non-flying seabirds, pinnipeds, and whales. In turn, they are predators on coastal euphausiids, including both Euphausia superba and crystallorophias. Historically, Pleuragramma have been an important food source for Adélie Penguins of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), but during the last decade Pleuragramma have disappeared from the Adélie diet. We suggest that Pleuragramma?s absence from the diets of top predators is linked to the declining sea ice canopy, which serves as a nursery for eggs and larvae during the austral spring. The research will investigate four hydrographic regimes over the WAP continental shelf with the following features: (1) persistent gyral flows that act to retain locally spawned larvae, (2) spring sea ice that has declined in recent years (3) the prevalence of adult silverfish, and (4) the presence of breeding Adélie penguins whose diets vary in the proportions of silverfish consumed. The research will evaluate the importance of local reproduction versus larval advection, and the extent to which populations in the subregions of study are genetically distinct, via analysis of population structure, otolith microchemistry and molecular genetics of fish. The Pleuragramma data will be compared with penguin diet samples taken synoptically. Broader Impacts: The proposed research brings together an international group of scientists with highly complimentary suites of skills to address the fate of Pleuragramma on the WAP shelf. Graduate students will use the data acquired as part of their Ph.D research, and will receive cross-training in ornithological field techniques, molecular genetic methods and otolith isotope chemistry. The PIs will work actively with the St. Petersburg Times to produce a blog in real time with pictures and text, which will be used to interact with local schools while we are at sea and after our return. The investigators also will collaborate with the COSEE center at USF and at local schools and museums to disseminate results to the K-12 community throughout the region.