Dimensions: Collaborative Research: Functional diversity of chemosymbiosis in lucinid bivalves from coastal biomes

所有已知的蛤蚌科都有化学共生细菌，可以固定碳，并在没有阳光的情况下将其供应给宿主。由于光泽虫在浅海沉积物中含量丰富，它们对孔隙水组成、营养盐悬浮液、沉积物地球化学和植被生产力的影响是相当大的。然而，它们在沉积物氮和甲烷循环中的作用是未知的，特别是与深海环境中的其他化学共生系统相比。此外，目前还不清楚Lucinid种群和/或功能多样性的下降如何影响沿海生物群落和生态系统服务，甚至是什么可能导致Lucinid种群整体下降。这个项目将调查未充分探索的遗传，分类和功能多样性的亮晶晶的化学共生在浅海环境，从原始到高度改变。采样将在佛罗里达、加州和巴哈马进行。研究人员还将测试描述地质历史中Lucinid细菌生物多样性的方法。这项研究有望填补空白，我们的理解Lucinid化学共生系统，包括基因表达是如何改变Lucinids和他们的内共生体在不断变化的生态系统条件下，特别是由于人为的影响，这项研究将填补一个重大的空白，了解Lucinid生物多样性的损失，可能会发生在栖息地敏感的自然和人为干扰，将是重要的沿海资源管理决策。研究人员将为研究生和本科生提供地球化学，微生物学和古生物学的跨学科培训，包括巴哈马的实地研究，博物馆收藏标准，实验室研究和计算生物信息学的培训。来自代表性不足的STEM团体的学生将参与该项目，参与大学外展和辅导计划将通过正式和非正式的课堂，公开演讲机会和博物馆活动来针对共生和生物多样性主题。

All known clams of the Lucinidae family harbor chemosymbiotic bacteria that fix carbon and supply it to their hosts in the absence of sunlight. Because lucinids are very abundant in shallow marine sediments, their effects on porewater composition, nutrient suspension, sediment biogeochemistry and vegetation productivity are considerable. However, their roles in sediment N and methane cycling are unknown, especially compared to other chemosymbiotic systems in deep-marine settings. Moreover, it is unclear how a decline in lucinid populations and/or functional diversity may impact coastal biome and ecosystem services, or even what could lead to lucinid population declines overall. This project will investigate the underexplored genetic, taxonomic, and functional diversity of lucinid chemosymbioses in shallow marine environments ranging from pristine to highly altered. Sampling will take place in Florida, California, and The Bahamas. The investigators will also test for ways to characterize lucinid-bacteria biodiversity in the geologic past. This research is expected to fill gaps in our understanding of lucinid chemosymbiotic systems, including how gene expression is altered for lucinids and their endosymbionts in changing ecosystem conditions, particularly due to anthropogenic impact.This research will fill a major gap in understanding lucinid biodiversity loss that may occur in habitats sensitive to natural and anthropogenic disturbances and will be important for coastal resource management decisions. The researchers will provide interdisciplinary training in geochemistry, microbiology, and paleobiology to graduate and undergraduate students, including field studies in The Bahamas, training in museum collection standards, laboratory research, and computational bioinformatics. Students from underrepresented STEM groups will be involved on the project, and involvement with university outreach and mentoring programs will target symbiosis and biodiversity topics through formal and informal classroom, public speaking opportunities, and museum activities.