Collaborative Research: The Role of Sponges in the Coastal Nitrogen Cycle

合作研究：海绵在沿海氮循环中的作用

• 批准号: 1132155
• 负责人: Christopher Martens
• 金额: $ 97.32万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1132155&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Role; Sponges; Coastal

Sponges dramatically alter ecosystem water quality through the combination of extraordinary pumping rates and rapid, dynamic biogeochemical transformations. Sponge communities are ubiquitous in marine environments and can inhabit over 40% of the benthic area in tropical ecosystems. In this project, a research team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the University of Washington will continue their ongoing investigations of the importance of sponge nitrogen (N) transformations and fluxes in coastal environments through quantifying their role in the N cycle of Florida Bay, specifically the importance of these dominant benthic organisms in meeting the N demands of primary producers throughout the Bay. The team's previous research demonstrated that sponge dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) flux to overlying waters at Conch Reef, Florida Keys, was larger than any other benthic nitrogen (N) source. In choosing Florida Bay as their study area, the team will benefit from the wealth of available data concerning N sources and recycling, including estimated values for new N inputs, and quantitative sponge benthic biomass. By performing in situ sponge N flux measurements they expect be able to contribute information about a potentially important recycled N source that has not previously been quantified in N budgets. The overarching goal of this research is to establish the importance of sponge-mediated N cycling processes in Florida Bay where sponges are abundant, their biomass has been quantified at hundreds of stations and their key role in water filtration has been established, by quantifying rates and mechanisms of transformations of both dissolved and particulate organic nitrogen to DIN and N2 (nitrogen gas) by key sponge species, and elucidating controls on N2 production by natural factors such as sponge tissue dissolved oxygen concentrations. Broader Impacts: Sponges play a crucial role in the nutrient balance of coastal environments because they are abundant in tropical, temperate and polar habitats, they process tremendous volumes of water, and many common species host abundant and active microbial populations. Their impact on biogeochemical cycling in most environments, however, remains largely unknown. During this study, graduate and undergraduate students and a postdoctoral fellow will learn in both laboratory and field settings a spectrum of state-of-the-art techniques and instrumentation firsthand and, when the results are ultimately synthesized for publication, they will benefit from participation in the exchange of ideas with established researchers from diverse fields.

海绵通过非凡的抽水速率和快速，动态的生物地球化学转化的结合来大大改变生态系统水质。海绵群落在海洋环境中无处不在，可以居住在热带生态系统中底栖区的40％以上。在这个项目中，来自北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校的一个研究团队，夏威夷大学马诺阿大学以及华盛顿大学将继续对海岸氮（N）转变（N）转变（N）的重要性进行持续调查，并通过在佛罗里达湾的N Clace Clace of Florida Clicece量中量化这些始终始于这些境内的人的重要性。 该团队先前的研究表明，海绵溶解的无机氮（DIN）通量覆盖在佛罗里达州海岸礁石礁的水域上，比任何其他底栖氮（N）来源大。 在选择佛罗里达湾作为其研究区域时，该团队将从有关N来源和回收利用的可用数据中受益，包括新N输入的估计值以及定量的Sponge Sponge Benthic Biomass。通过执行原位海绵N通量测量结果，他们期望能够贡献有关潜在重要的回收n来源的信息，而N源以前尚未在N预算中量化。这项研究的总体目标是确定海绵介导的n循环过程在佛罗里达湾的重要性，海绵丰富，它们的生物量在数百个站点进行了量化，并且通过量化了通过溶解和颗粒的有机含量和NINROCEN和NINROGEN（NINROGEN和NITROGEN）（NINROGEN）的转化机制来确定水过滤中的关键作用，并建立了它们在水过滤中的重要作用（自然因素（例如海绵组织溶解氧浓度）对N2产生的控制。更广泛的影响：海绵在沿海环境的养分平衡中起着至关重要的作用，因为它们在热带，温带和极地栖息地中丰富，它们会处理大量的水，许多常见的物种含有丰富而活跃的微生物种群。然而，它们对大多数环境中生物地球化学循环的影响仍然很大程度上是未知的。在这项研究中，研究生和本科生以及博士后研究员将在实验室和野外学习中学习一系列最先进的技术和仪器，并且亲眼目睹了结果，当结果最终合成以供出版时，他们将从各种领域的知识交换中受益。