DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Mechanisms Of Coral Adaptation In The Florida Keys

佛罗里达群岛的珊瑚礁在过去的30年里经历了前所未有的衰退。硬珊瑚是珊瑚礁生态系统的支柱，自1995年以来，它们的数量减少了44%。然而，珊瑚的损失并不是均匀的，而且目前还不清楚为什么这个系统中的一些珊瑚礁比其他珊瑚礁更能适应压力。例如，靠近海岸的珊瑚礁暴露在极端温度和污染物下，也比经历更稳定的温度和更好的水质的近海珊瑚礁表现出更高的珊瑚生长和覆盖率。这个项目将测量在近海和近海珊瑚礁环境之间实验移植的珊瑚的基因活性。这将有助于确定作用于每个珊瑚礁的压力源，以及珊瑚适应这些压力的机制。了解造礁珊瑚适应当地条件的生理机制，可以帮助完善对它们如何及时应对全球气候变化影响的预测。佛罗里达群岛的珊瑚礁相关活动每年创造34亿美元的销售额和收入，并提供3.6万个就业岗位。这种生态系统的丧失在生态和经济上都将是毁灭性的。该项目的结果将促进对环境与珊瑚礁状况之间关系的理解。它还将确定珊瑚适应的机制，并提供分子工具来评估自然环境中的珊瑚状况，这将更好地为旨在保护这一宝贵生态系统的管理实践提供信息。对学生进行培训。

Coral reefs in the Florida Keys have experienced unprecedented declines over the last 30 years. Hard corals, the backbone of the reef ecosystem, have seen their populations reduced by 44% since 1995. However, the loss of coral is not uniform and it is unclear why some reefs in this system are more resilient to stress than others. For example, reefs closer to shore that are exposed to temperature extremes and pollutants also exhibit higher coral growth and cover than offshore reefs that experience more stable temperatures and better water quality. This project will measure gene activity in corals that were experimentally transplanted between inshore and offshore reef environments. This will help identify the stressors acting at each reef and the mechanisms used by corals to adapt to them. Understanding the physiological mechanisms used by reef-building corals to adapt to local conditions can help refine predictions about how they will respond in time to the effects of global climate change. Reef-related activities in the Florida Keys generate $3.4 billion in sales and income annually and support 36,000 jobs. Loss of this ecosystem would be devastating both ecologically and economically. The results of this project will advance understanding of the relationship between the environment and the state of the coral reefs. It will also identify mechanisms of coral adaptation, and provide molecular tools to assess coral condition in natural environments which will better inform management practices aimed at conserving this valuable ecosystem. Training of students would occur.