Sources of Particulate Organic Matter and Their Use by Suspension-feeders in New Zealand Kelp Forests

该提案的目标是促进PI和奥克兰大学讲师Nicholas Shears博士之间的研究合作，以了解营养联系和资源变异对消费者的影响。这对于预测食物网在环境变化下可能如何变化是必要的。PI建议扩展先前的工作，以研究海带碎屑在这个非常不同的海带森林系统中的作用。他将使用稳定同位素和多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）通过食物网追踪海带碳，并测试海带碎屑是生活在新西兰广泛的Ecklonia海带森林中的悬浮饲养者的重要碳来源的假设。该奖项由OIIA/国际科学与工程下的催化新国际合作计划支持，由GEO/海洋科学共同资助。大型藻类和浮游植物支持浅水沿海珊瑚礁的高产海洋生态系统。拟议的研究的目标是确定：（1）浮游植物和海带碎屑的贡献池悬浮颗粒有机物（POM）可供珊瑚礁消费者，以及（2）如何不同成分的POM被用作食物的珊瑚礁悬浮饲料。这个项目的更广泛的影响将包括教育福利，研究生谁是她的家庭第一个人上大学。该项目将有助于扩大她的研究和视角，包括一个非常不同的海带森林系统，并通过Shears博士及其团队的指导向她介绍国际合作的价值。这项研究的结果将通过科学出版物广泛传播，但也通过我们的本科教学和公共讲座在场地，如自然历史的圣巴巴拉博物馆。

The goal of this proposal is to catalyze a research collaboration between the PI and Dr. Nicholas Shears, a Lecturer at the University of Auckland, to understand trophic connections and the effect of resource variability on consumers. This is necessary to predict how food webs may shift in the face of environmental change. The PI proposes to extend prior work to examine the role of kelp detritus in this very different kelp forest system. He will use stable isotopes and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to trace kelp carbon through the food web, and test the hypothesis that kelp detritus represents a significant source of carbon to suspension feeders living in the extensive Ecklonia kelp forests of New Zealand. This award is supported by the Catalyzing New International Collaborations program under OIIA/International Science and Engineering, with co-funding by GEO/Ocean Sciences. Macroalgae and phytoplankton support highly productive marine ecosystems on shallow coastal reefs. The objectives of the proposed research are to determine: (1) the contribution of phytoplankton and kelp detritus to the pool of suspended particulate organic matter (POM) available to reef consumers, and (2) how different components of the POM are used as food by reef suspension feeders. Broader impacts of this project will include educational benefits to a graduate student who is the first person in her family to attend college. The project will serve to expand her research and perspective to include a very different kelp forest system and introduce her to the value of international collaborations through mentoring by Dr. Shears and his group. Results of this research will be disseminated widely through scientific publications but also through our undergraduate teaching and public lectures at venues such as the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.