SGER: Environmental Genomics of Salpa Thompsoni in the Southern Ocean

该研究将开发新的分子和基因组工具和方法来研究形成凝胶状水华的南极Salpa thompsoni，以了解Salpa复杂的生活史、快速种群增长和水华形成的潜力与南大洋环境条件之间的相互作用。在高度脆弱的南大洋中上层生态系统中，汤普森萨尔帕（Salpa thompsoni）扮演着越来越重要的角色。尽管被认为是南极远洋生态系统中日益重要的关键组成部分，但尚未发表关于其种群遗传学或基因组学的研究。这里提出的研究——包括分析与生活史事件和特定环境条件相关的全基因组汤普森Salpa thompsoni基因表达模式——将是对Salpa物种的首次此类研究。本文提出的分子遗传学技术和方法广泛应用于生物医学实验室，并越来越多地应用于各种模式物种，但尚未应用于生态重要但系统发育不明确的物种，如海带。由于越来越迫切需要了解南大洋上层生态系统观测到的变化的根本原因，包括关键物种，南大洋磷虾（Euphausia superba）和形成凝胶状开花的南极Salpa thompsoni之间的平衡变化，因此要求小额探索性研究补助金（SGER）。鉴于缺乏目标物种或任何近亲的分子遗传和基因组信息，拟议的研究可能被认为风险太高，无法通过常规的NSF项目和小组资助。

The proposed research will develop new molecular and genomic tools and approaches for the gelatinous bloom-forming Antarctic salp, Salpa thompsoni, in order to understand the interplay between the salp's complex life history, potential for rapid population growth and bloom formation, and the environmental conditions of the Southern Ocean. Salpa thompsoni is an increasingly important player in the highly-vulnerable Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystem. Despite being recognized as a key component of growing importance in Antarctic pelagic ecosystems, no study has been published on their population genetics or genomics. The research proposed here - including analysis of genome-wide patterns of gene expression of Salpa thompsoni associated with life history events and specific environmental conditions - will be the first of its kind on a salp species. The molecular genetic techniques and approaches proposed here are widely used in bio-medical laboratories and are increasingly applied to diverse model species, but have yet to be applied to ecologically-important but phylogenetically-obscure species, such as salps. A Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) is requested because of the increasing urgency of understanding the underlying causes of observed changes in the Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystem, including the shifting balance between the keystone species, Southern Ocean krill (Euphausia superba) and the gelatinous bloom-forming Antarctic salp (Salpa thompsoni). Given the lack of molecular genetic and genomic information for the target species or any close relative, the proposed research may be perceived as too high risk for funding via usual NSF programs and panels.