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.

南极半岛西部的沿海环境孕育着丰富的海洋动物和藻类。这些生物群体之间的相互作用在南极洲沿海生态中的重要性是众所周知的，而且往往是由藻类组织中的化学防御来调节的。这些化学物质是为了阻止蜗牛和其他海洋动物的进食，这使得南极半岛成为一个绝佳的地方，可以提出关于化学化合物多样性对海洋群落的功能和进化意义的重要问题。该项目将集中在三个主要目标上：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理解。第二个目标侧重于用于保护藻类不被消耗的化合物的多样性。第三个目标是了解海洋动物如何通过食用含有这些化合物的藻类来从这些化合物中获益，然后利用这些化合物来化学地阻止捕食者。这项研究的实地组成部分将在南极洲美国帕尔默站的三次探险中进行。在这些考察期间，将进行各种实验室饲养生物测定、操作现场和实验室实验以及现场化学分析。研究人员还将提供机会，将他们的国家科学基金会研究与各种教育活动结合起来。与过去一样，他们将通过NSF项目以及家庭、大学项目支持本科生的研究，他们也将继续支持和促进研究生教育。通过他们非常成功的阿拉巴马大学南极洲互动网络项目（两次获得美国教育促进和支持委员会的优等奖），他们将继续让大量的教师、K-12学生和其他社区成员参与到他们在南极洲的科学努力中来。此外，调查人员还通过前国家科学基金会教师体验南极和北极计划，在他们的南极实地团队中接待了K-12教师，并将继续参与这个有价值的计划的继任者——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。南极半岛西部的近岸环境孕育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群落营养相互作用中的重要性，使南极半岛西部成为研究海洋群落防御复合多样性功能和进化意义的绝佳地点。本项目将集中于三个主要目标，这些目标是该调查小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藻及其相关的片足类动物之间的群落互惠关系的理解，包括腹足类动物，它们也大量存在于许多大藻上。第二个目标侧重于用于保护大型藻类不被消耗的化合物的多样性，特别是在常见的红藻软骨藻中。第三个目标是了解P.软骨藻和片脚类鱼的关系，包括P. fissicauda消耗P.软骨藻和其他化学防御红藻的能力所带来的生态效益和成本。研究人员将重点关注裂裂假单胞藻从软骨假单胞藻中吸收防御性化合物并利用这些化学物质保护自己免受捕食的能力所带来的成本和收益。这项研究的实地部分将在南极洲帕尔默站的三次考察中进行。在这些考察期间，将进行各种实验室饲养生物测定、操作现场和实验室实验以及现场化学分析。系统发育分析、详细的次级代谢物化学分析和净化以及其他数据分析也将在调查人员的实地季节之间和之后在其家乡机构进行。