Collaborative Research: The Chemical Ecology of Shallow-water Marine Macroalgae and Invertebrates on the Antarctic Peninsula

南极半岛西部的沿海环境蕴藏着丰富的海洋动物和藻类。这些生物群之间的相互作用在南极沿海生态中的重要性是众所周知的，而且通常是由藻类组织中的化学防御调节的。这些化学物质旨在阻止蜗牛和其他海洋动物的觅食，使南极半岛成为提出关于化合物多样性对海洋生物群落的功能和进化意义的重要问题的绝佳地点。该项目将侧重于三个主要目标：第一个目标是扩大目前对藻类及其相关海洋动物之间关系的了解。第二个目标侧重于用于防止藻类被吃掉的化合物的多样性。第三个目标试图了解海洋动物如何通过消耗含有这些化合物的藻类，然后使用这些化合物来化学威慑捕食者，从而从这些化合物中受益。这项研究的实地部分将在前往南极洲美国帕尔默站的三次探险中进行。在这些探险期间，将进行各种实验室生物分析、操纵性野外和实验室实验，以及现场化学分析。研究人员还将创造机会，将他们的NSF研究与各种教育活动结合起来。与过去一样，他们将通过NSF项目以及基于家庭和大学的项目支持本科生研究，他们还将继续支持和促进研究生教育。通过他们非常成功的南极洲阿拉巴马大学互动网络计划(两次获得美国教育促进和支持委员会的杰出奖)，他们将继续让大量教师、K-12学生和其他社区成员参与他们在南极洲的科学努力。此外，调查人员还通过前NSF教师体验南极洲和北极计划接待了他们南极野外团队中的K-12教师，并将寻求参与这一宝贵计划的后续项目PolarTREC。此外，他们将积极参与外展工作，向当地学校和社区团体介绍他们的研究成果。南极半岛西部近岸环境蕴藏着丰富的大型藻类和大型无脊椎动物。捕食者-猎物相互作用和化学防御在调节整个群落范围的营养相互作用方面的重要性，使南极半岛西部成为提出关于防御性化合物多样性对海洋群落的功能和进化意义的重要问题的绝佳地点。该项目将侧重于三个主要目标，这是该调查组过去对南极半岛浅水海洋大型藻类和无脊椎动物的化学生态学研究的直接结果。第一个目标是扩大目前对大型藻类及其相关的两足类之间社区范围内的互惠关系的理解，将腹足类包括在内，腹足类也在许多大型藻类中大量存在。第二个目标集中在用于防止大型藻类被吃掉的化合物的多样性，特别是在常见的红藻PLocamium chonagineum中。第三个目标是了解软骨藻和裂尾巴拉德胺之间的关系，包括摄食软骨藻和其他化学防御红藻的能力对裂尾螺旋藻的生态效益和成本。研究人员将把重点放在与裂尾巴氏杆菌从软骨藻中分离防御性化合物并使用这些化学物质防御捕食的能力相关的成本和收益上。这项研究的实地部分将在前往南极洲帕尔默站的三次探险中进行。在这些探险期间，将进行各种实验室生物分析、操纵性野外和实验室实验，以及现场化学分析。系统发育分析、详细的次生代谢物化学分析和提纯，以及其他数据分析也将在调查人员的家庭机构进行，在他们的野外季节期间和之后。

The coastal environments of the western Antarctic Peninsula harbor rich assemblages of marine animals and algae. The importance of the interactions between these groups of organisms in the ecology of coastal Antarctica are well known and often mediated by chemical defenses in the tissues of the algae. These chemicals are meant to deter feeding by snails and other marine animals making the Antarctic Peninsula an excellent place to ask important questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of chemical compound diversity for marine communities. This project will focus on three main objectives: the first objective is to expand the current understanding of the relationship between algae and their associated marine animals. The second objective focuses on the diversity of chemical compounds used to defend algae from being consumed. The third objective seeks to understand how marine animals can benefit from these compounds by consuming the algae that contain them, and then using those compounds to chemically deter predators. The field components of this research will be performed during three expeditions to the US Palmer Station, Antarctica. During these expeditions, a variety of laboratory feeding bioassays, manipulative field and laboratory experiments, and on-site chemical analyses will be performed. The investigators will also foster opportunities to integrate their NSF research with a variety of educational activities. As in the past they will support undergraduate research, both through NSF programs as well as home, university-based, programs, and they will also continue to support and foster graduate education. Through their highly successful University of Alabama in Antarctica interactive web program (two time recipient of awards of excellence from the US Council for Advancement and Support of Education), they will continue to involve large numbers of teachers, K-12 students, and other members of the community at large in their scientific endeavors in Antarctica. In addition, the investigators have hosted K-12 teachers on their Antarctic field teams through the former NSF Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic program and will pursue participation in PolarTREC, the successor to this valuable program. Moreover, they will actively participate in outreach efforts by presenting numerous talks on their research to local school and community groups. The near shore environments of the western Antarctic Peninsula harbor rich assemblages of macroalgae and macroinvertebrates. The importance of predator-prey interactions and chemical defenses in mediating community-wide trophic interactions makes the western Antarctic Peninsula an excellent place to ask important questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of defensive compound diversity for marine communities. This project will focus on three main objectives which are a direct outcome of the past studies of the chemical ecology of shallow-water marine macroalgae and invertebrates on the Antarctic Peninsula by this group of investigators. The first objective is to expand the current understanding of a community-wide mutualism between macroalgae and their associated amphipods to include gastropods, which are also abundant on many macroalgae. The second objective focuses on the diversity of chemical compounds used to defend macroalgae from being consumed, particularly in the common red alga Plocamium cartilagineum. The third objective seeks to understand the relationship between P. cartilagineum and the amphipod Paradexamine fissicauda, including the ecological benefits and costs to P. fissicauda resulting from the ability to consume P. cartilagineum and other chemically defended red algae. The investigators will focus on the costs and benefits related to the ability of P. fissicauda to sequester defensive compounds from the alga P. cartilagineum and use those chemicals to defend itself from predation. The field components of this research will be performed during three expeditions to Palmer Station, Antarctica. During these expeditions, a variety of laboratory feeding bioassays, manipulative field and laboratory experiments, and on-site chemical analyses will be performed. Phylogenetic analyses, detailed secondary metabolite chemical analyses and purifications, and other data analyses will also be performed at the investigators' home institutions between and after their field seasons.