Collaborative Research: Assessing the Effect of Environmental Stressors on Invertebrate Innate Immunity using a Coral Pathosystem

劳拉？米德拉兹 IOS-1017458 LiT：合作研究：使用珊瑚病理系统评估环境压力对无脊椎动物先天免疫的影响在过去的几十年里，造礁珊瑚的丰度急剧下降。珊瑚丧失的主要原因与海洋变暖、营养物污染和疾病爆发有关，所有这些都是由气候变化引起的。 观察表明，过去二十年来，珊瑚疾病的数量和患病率有所增加，几乎每年都会出现新的动物流行病，这表明环境压力因素会导致或加剧珊瑚疾病。 该项目将研究珊瑚对病原体的抵抗力和先天免疫的变化，并量化海洋变暖和营养污染对珊瑚免疫反应有效性的影响。 该项目将侧重于Montastraea faveolata黄带病（YBD）系统。 Montastraea属是现代西大西洋珊瑚礁中最重要的珊瑚群之一，然而，Montastraea spp.主要由于白化和疾病，种群数量急剧下降。利用珊瑚免疫中的细胞和无细胞过程的分析，PI将研究自然感染的珊瑚的抗病能力的变化，温度压力的反应时间和恢复时间，以及在YBD病原体存在的情况下，压力因素的组合如何影响珊瑚的免疫力。 该项目还将培训多所大学的本科生和研究生，并促进四所大学之间的交流。 资金将支持一个新的服务学习项目。 来自高级海洋生物学课程的本科生将根据他们课程和本项目的概念为初中生准备和执行课程计划。 该项目的一名调查人员将与天文馆和面向公众的科学中心的专业教育工作者和外展专家合作，开发互动式博物馆展示和K-4夏令营项目。

Mydlarz, Laura IOS-1017458LiT: Collaborative Research: Assessing the effect of environmental stressors on invertebrate innate immunity using a coral pathosystemThe abundance of reef-building corals has declined dramatically over the last decades. The main causes of coral loss are related to ocean warming, nutrient pollution and disease outbreaks, all resulting from anthropogenic-induced climate change. Observations indicate that number and prevalence of coral diseases have increased over the last two decades and new epizootics nearly every year suggest that environmental stressors drive or exacerbate coral disease. This project will examine coral resistance to pathogens and variation in innate immunity, as well as quantify the effects of ocean warming and nutrient pollution on the effectiveness of coral immune responses. The project will focus on the Montastraea faveolata Yellow Band Disease (YBD) system. The genus Montastraea is one of the most important groups of corals of modern western Atlantic coral reefs, however, Montastraea spp. populations have declined dramatically mainly due to bleaching and disease. Using assays for cellular and cell-free processes in coral immunity, the PIs will examine the variability in disease resistance in naturally infected corals, the reaction time and recovery time from temperature stress and how the combination of stressors influence coral immunity in the presence of YBD pathogens. This project will also train undergraduates and graduate students at multiple universities, and promote exchange between four universities. Funding will support a novel service-learning project. Undergraduate students from an upper-level marine biology course will prepare and execute a lesson plan for junior high school students based on concepts from their course and this project. One of the investigators on this project will collaborate with professional educators and outreach specialists at a Planetarium and a public-oriented Science Center to develop an interactive museum display and K-4 summer camp programs.