An International Approach to the Biodiversity, Biogeography and Evolution of Caribbean Gastrotricha

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This goal of this 3-year project is to make the first comprehensive inventory of marine, microscopic animals of the phylum Gastrotricha in the western hemisphere. A team of international researchers from five countries will survey marine gastrotrichs and a collection of other marine animals from vulnerable sedimentary habitats of the South Floridian ecoregion and nine small island developing states (SIDS) throughout the wider Caribbean. A combination of microscopy and molecular sequencing will be used to advance the discovery of new species, test hypotheses on the origins of animal biodiversity, and add significantly to our knowledge of tropical marine biodiversity. The results will be presented in printed and electronic taxonomic keys, SID-specific taxonomic guides, web-accessible databases, and collections for natural history museums in North, Central and South America.R. Hochberg and researchers from Cameroon, Germany, Italy and South Korea will collaborate to educate and train underrepresented American students and their international colleagues in the discovery and description of microscopic animals (meiofauna) from remote and threatened ecoregions. In total, this project will build long-term, multinational partnerships with scientists in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Central America for meeting the challenges of cataloging marine biodiversity and understanding its importance in marine sedimentary habitats.