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

合作研究：南极半岛浅水海洋大型藻类和无脊椎动物的化学生态学

• 批准号: 1341333
• 负责人: Charles Amsler
• 金额: $ 89.97万
• 依托单位: University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1341333&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Chemical; Ecology; Shallow

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.

南极西部半岛西部的沿海环境港口丰富的海洋动物和藻类组合。这些生物体之间在南极沿海生态学中相互作用的重要性是众所周知的，并且通常是由藻类组织中化学防御措施介导的。 这些化学物质的目的是阻止蜗牛和其他海洋动物的喂养，使南极半岛成为询问有关海洋社区化学复合多样性功能和进化意义的重要问题的好地方。该项目将重点介绍三个主要目标：第一个目标是扩展对藻类与其相关海洋动物之间关系的当前理解。第二个目标侧重于用于防御藻类免于食用的化学化合物的多样性。第三个目标试图通过食用含有它们的藻类，然后将这些化合物使用化学阻止捕食者来了解海洋动物如何从这些化合物中受益。这项研究的现场组成部分将在三次前往南极洲帕尔默站的探险中进行。在这些探险中，将进行各种实验室喂养生物测定，操纵场和实验室实验以及现场化学分析。调查人员还将促进将其NSF研究与各种教育活动相结合的机会。与过去一样，他们将通过NSF计划以及家庭，基于大学的课程来支持本科研究，他们还将继续支持和培养研究生教育。通过他们在南极互动网络计划的阿拉巴马大学非常成功的大学（两次获得美国促进与教育支持委员会卓越奖项的获得者），他们将继续涉及大量的教师，K-11学生，K-11学生和其他社区的其他社区成员。此外，调查人员还通过前NSF教师和北极计划接待了K-12教师，并将通过前NSF教师参加了南极野外团队，并将参与Polartrec，这是该宝贵计划的继任者Polartrec。此外，他们将通过向当地学校和社区团体进行许多关于研究的演讲，积极参与外展工作。南极西部半岛西部的近岸环境港口丰富的大型藻类和大型无脊椎动物的组合。捕食者 - 捕食相互作用和化学防御措施在调解社区范围内的营养相互作用中的重要性使西方南极半岛成为询问有关防御性复合多样性对海洋社区的功能和进化意义的重要问题的好地方。该项目将集中于三个主要目标，这是过去对这组研究人员在南极半岛上浅水海洋大藻类和无脊椎动物的化学生态研究的直接结果。第一个目标是扩大对大型藻类及其相关两亲脚架之间社区范围的互助性的当前理解，以包括腹足动物，这些腹足类也在许多大藻类上也很丰富。第二个目标的重点是用于防御大型藻类免于食用的化学化合物的多样性，尤其是在常见的红色藻类plocamium cartilagineum中。第三个目标旨在了解软骨假单胞菌与两亲苯甲胺果胺的关系，包括由于消耗蛋白原疟原虫和其他化学捍卫的红藻的能力而导致的生态益处和成本。调查人员将专注于与菲西瓜菌在藻类P. cartilagineum中隔离防御性化合物的能力相关的成本和收益，并使用这些化学物质来防御捕食。这项研究的现场成分将在三次前往南极洲帕尔默站的探险中进行。在这些探险中，将进行各种实验室喂养生物测定，操纵场和实验室实验以及现场化学分析。系统发育分析，详细的二级代谢物化学分析和纯化以及其他数据分析也将在研究人员的田间季节之间和之后的研究人员的家庭机构进行。