Collaborative Research: The Chemical Ecology of Shallow-water Marine Macroalgae and Invertebrates on the Antarctic Peninsula

合作研究：南极半岛浅水海洋大型藻类和无脊椎动物的化学生态学

• 批准号: 0838773
• 负责人: James McClintock
• 金额: $ 70.33万
• 依托单位: University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2013-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0838773&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Chemical; Ecology; Shallow

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The near shore environments of the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) harbor extremely high densities of mesograzers (small invertebrate predators approximately 1-25 mm in length) such as benthic amphipods, as well as rich assemblages of macroalgae, endophytes, and macroinvertebrates. Unlike temperate and tropical shallow marine environments, where fish and sea urchins are key grazers structuring the community, mesograzers appear to be much more important in the WAP. Accordingly, the proposed research has two main objectives: (1) To further investigate the interactions between the ecologically dominant large macrophytes, filamentous epi/endophytes, and mesograzers and (2) To determine the nature of interactions between mesograzers and sessile invertebrates. Specifically, the research will examine the following hypotheses: 1: The effects of endophytes on macrophytes are often negative, and consequently macrophytes defend against endophytic infection. 2: Mesoherbivores prevent filamentous algal species, common in the intertidal, from dominating subtidal assemblages. 3: Mesograzer predation pressure on sessile benthic macroinvertebrates, primarily sponges and tunicates, is greatest in shallow habitats dominated by macrophytes, and this impacts depth distributions of macroinvertebrate species. 4: Benthic macroinvertebrates may defend against mesograzers with secondary metabolites which effect molting and/or deter feeding.Broader impacts include involvement of undergraduates, including minorities, in research; training of graduate students, and continuation of the highly successful UAB IN ANTARCTICA interactive web program (two time recipient of awards of excellence from the US Council for Advancement and Support of Education). The researchers also will share their scientific endeavors with teachers, K-12 students, and other members of the community at large while in residence in Antarctica. In addition, the investigators will request the participation of a PolarTREC teacher.

该奖项根据 2009 年《美国复苏和再投资法案》（公法 111-5）提供资金。南极半岛西部 (WAP) 的近岸环境中栖息着极高密度的中食草动物（体长约 1-25 毫米的小型无脊椎动物捕食者），例如底栖片脚类动物，以及丰富的大型藻类、内生菌和大型无脊椎动物组合。与温带和热带浅海环境不同，鱼类和海胆是构成群落的主要食草动物，中食草动物在 WAP 中似乎更为重要。 因此，拟议的研究有两个主要目标：（1）进一步研究生态优势大型植物、丝状表观/内生植物和中食草动物之间的相互作用；（2）确定中食草动物和无柄无脊椎动物之间相互作用的性质。 具体来说，该研究将检验以下假设： 1：内生菌对大型植物的影响通常是负面的，因此大型植物可以防御内生菌感染。 2：中食草动物阻止潮间带常见的丝状藻类在潮下带组合中占主导地位。图3：中食草动物对无柄底栖大型无脊椎动物（主要是海绵和被囊动物）的捕食压力在以大型植物为主的浅层生境中最大，这影响了大型无脊椎动物物种的深度分布。 4：底栖大型无脊椎动物可能会利用次生代谢物来防御中食草动物，这些代谢物会影响蜕皮和/或阻止进食。更广泛的影响包括本科生（包括少数族裔）参与研究；研究生培训，以及继续非常成功的 UAB IN ANTARCTICA 互动网络计划（两次获得美国教育促进和支持委员会颁发的卓越奖）。 研究人员还将在南极洲居住期间与教师、K-12 学生和广大社区其他成员分享他们的科学成果。此外，调查人员将要求 PolarTREC 教师的参与。