Ocean Acidification Category 1: Identifying Adaptive Responses of Polar Fishes in a Vulnerable Ecosystem

拟议的研究将调查两个海洋学特征——海洋酸化和预计的平均海面温度上升——对南极海洋生态系统的主要鱼类——南极鱼的表现的相互作用和潜在的协同影响。了解酸化和温度上升对这些鱼类的共同影响是预测沿海海洋生态系统恢复能力的重要组成部分。当受到非生物胁迫时，南极鱼反复显示出生理耐受的窄窗口。考虑到进化适应可能导致这些生物具有狭窄生理限制的微调性状，该系统提供了一个独特的机会来研究与适应未来大气二氧化碳预测的多应激源环境相关的生理权衡。了解这些权衡将为了解物种通过表型可塑性应对气候变化的能力提供有价值的见解。作为功能测量的延伸，本研究将使用进化方法将生理反应的变化映射到这些鱼类的系统发育和物种内的遗传多样性上。这些方法提供了对进化优化的历史约束和未来潜力的洞察。这项研究将大大扩展极地研究人员可用的基因组资源，并将支持EPSCoR机构的研究生和博士后培训。研究成果将纳入课堂课程。

The proposed research will investigate the interacting and potentially synergistic influence of two oceanographic features - ocean acidification and the projected rise in mean sea surface temperature - on the performance of Notothenioids, the dominant fish of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Understanding the joint effects of acidification and temperature rise on these fish is a vital component of predicting the resilience of coastal marine ecosystems. Notothenioids have repeatedly displayed a narrow window of physiological tolerances when subjected to abiotic stresses. Given that evolutionary adaptation may have led to finely-tuned traits with narrow physiological limits in these organisms, this system provides a unique opportunity to examine physiological trade-offs associated with acclimation to the multi-stressor environment expected from future atmospheric CO2 projections. Understanding these trade-offs will provide valuable insight into the capacity species have for responses to climate change via phenotypic plasticity. As an extension to functional measurements, this study will use evolutionary approaches to map variation in physiological responses onto the phylogeny of these fishes and the genetic diversity within species. These approaches offer insight into the historical constraints and future potential for evolutionary optimization. The research will significantly expand the genomic resources available to polar researchers and will support the training of graduate students and a post doc at an EPSCoR institution. Research outcomes will be incorporated into classroom curriculum.