Quantifying and Predicting Microscale Patchiness of Plankton

浮游生物的微尺度斑块性的量化和预测

• 批准号: 0825154
• 负责人: Peter Franks
• 金额: $ 36.56万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of Oceanography
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-15 至 2012-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0825154&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Quantifying; Predicting; Microscale; Patchiness; Plankton

Over the past decade the PI of this project has developed planar laser imaging fluorometery (PLIF) systems that provide two-dimensional images of plankton, undisturbed, in situ. He has collected over 10 Tb of data containing vertical profiles of the number, size, and spatial distribution of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and aggregates in the ocean off Southern California. These images are complemented by extensive coincident auxiliary measurements of physical and chemical properties of the environment. This project will use the archived data to quantify the spatial distribution patterns of individual plankters spanning scales from 95 um to 55 m in situ, and relate those distributions to the underlying turbulent structures, density gradients, vertical shear, and chemical gradients. The analyses will allow us to resolve the scales and dynamics that govern the change in plankton distributions from random at small scales to persistent gradients and layers at larger scales, as well as the relationship of particle concentrations to turbulent structures (vorticity and strain). These analyses will yield a more quantitative understanding of the physical-chemical-biological interactions that structure planktonic communities, the foraging environment for zooplankton, and the processes controlling local diversity of the plankton community. Combining the data analyses with models of the underlying dynamics will enhance our ability to predict the spatial and temporal patchiness of planktonic distributions, and increase our understanding of the factors influencing trophic interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the marine environment.Broader Impacts:This project will advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching and learning by incorporating elements of the proposed research into high-school and graduate courses. The PI and graduate student will mentor REU students, and involve them in the data analyses. The proposed work will form the core of the PhD thesis of an interdisciplinary female graduate student. They will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups by teaching a summer course through to underrepresented high-school students, and by mentoring and officiating for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. They will enhance research infrastructure by adding value to data collected in collaboration with academia, industry and international partners, representing multiple scientific disciplines. They will broadly disseminate our results in conference presentations at and publications, as well as work with journalists and institutional public information officers. Benefits to society will be realized through improved understanding of important of processes in the marine ecosystem, ultimately yielding greater understanding of oceanic response to climate change. Indeed, the quantification of the importance of microscale patches to ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical fluxes may help us understand their role in regulating climate and moderating anthropogenic perturbations.

在过去的十年中，该项目的PI开发了平面激光成像荧光测量（PLIF）系统，该系统可以提供浮游生物在原位不受干扰的二维图像。他收集了超过10tb的数据，其中包括南加州海域浮游植物、浮游动物和聚集体的数量、大小和空间分布的垂直剖面。这些图像由广泛的环境物理和化学性质的辅助测量补充。该项目将利用存档数据量化单个浮游生物在95米至55米范围内的空间分布模式，并将这些分布与底层湍流结构、密度梯度、垂直切变和化学梯度联系起来。这些分析将使我们能够解决浮游生物分布从小尺度随机到大尺度持续梯度和分层变化的尺度和动力学问题，以及颗粒浓度与湍流结构（涡度和应变）的关系。这些分析将对浮游生物群落结构的物理-化学-生物相互作用、浮游动物的觅食环境以及控制浮游生物群落局部多样性的过程产生更定量的理解。将数据分析与基础动力学模型相结合，将提高我们预测浮游生物分布时空斑块性的能力，并增加我们对海洋环境中营养相互作用和生物地球化学循环的影响因素的认识。更广泛的影响：该项目将促进发现和理解，同时通过将拟议研究的元素纳入高中和研究生课程，促进教与学。PI和研究生将指导REU的学生，并让他们参与数据分析。建议的工作将构成跨学科女研究生博士论文的核心。他们将通过向代表性不足的高中生教授暑期课程，以及指导和主持国家海洋科学碗，扩大代表性不足群体的参与。它们将通过增加与代表多个科学学科的学术界、工业界和国际伙伴合作收集的数据的价值来加强研究基础设施。他们将在会议发言和出版物中广泛传播我们的成果，并与记者和机构新闻官员合作。通过更好地了解海洋生态系统中的重要过程，最终加深对海洋对气候变化的反应的了解，将实现对社会的惠益。事实上，量化微尺度斑块对生态系统功能和生物地球化学通量的重要性可能有助于我们理解它们在调节气候和缓和人为干扰方面的作用。