RUI: Collaborative Research: The Bermuda Seaweed Project

百慕大群岛是评估海洋生物多样性的理想地点，因为这个孤立的群岛位于热带和暖温带的交汇处，这里栖息着不同的动植物。百慕大很小的面积供养着大约450种海藻；这个数字可以完整地评估整个项目期间群岛的藻类多样性。利用DNA序列数据，百慕大物种将与在加勒比和北美栖息地收集的标本进行比较。其结果将是所有岛屿群中最全面的植物区系调查。栖息在百慕大的海藻是水温变化的重要哨兵。许多原本可能在百慕大水域茁壮成长的热带物种无法在冬季达到的水温下生存。然而，百慕大附近最低水温的小幅上升可能会消除这一障碍。年气温升高也可能导致冬季冷水物种的消失。这项研究将产生一个详尽的百慕大海藻基线数据集，这将使我们能够从植物群中发现热带和冷水物种的潜在增加和损失。因此，该项目与地方当局合作，为百慕大附近海洋温度变化的预警提供了重要资源。此外，该项目还为本科生和研究生提供研究经验，并通过与百慕大水族馆组织的活动向K-12教师和学生以及公众提供服务。

The islands of Bermuda are ideally located for the assessment of marine biodiversity because the isolated archipelago is at the interface of tropical and warm temperate zones, which harbor different floras and faunas. Bermuda's small size supports approximately 450 species of seaweeds; this number allows complete assessment of the archipelago's algal diversity over the period of the project. Using DNA sequence data, Bermudan species will be compared with specimens collected in Caribbean and North American habitats. The outcome will be the most comprehensive floristic survey for any island grouping.The seaweeds that inhabit Bermuda are important as sentinels to changing water temperatures. Many tropical species that might otherwise thrive in Bermuda's waters cannot survive at the water temperatures reached during the winter. However, minor increases in minimum water temperatures around Bermuda may eliminate this obstacle. Warmer annual temperatures might also cause the disappearance of cold-water winter species. This study will result in an exhaustive baseline dataset of Bermuda's seaweeds that will allow detection of potential addition of tropical and loss of coldwater species from the flora. In partnership with local authorities, this project thus provides a critical resource for advance warning of ocean temperature changes near Bermuda. In addition, this project provides research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students and outreach to K-12 teachers and students and the general public through activities organized with the Bermuda Aquarium.