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

所有已知的Lucinidae家族的蛤都含有化学共生细菌，这些细菌可以在没有阳光的情况下固定碳并将其提供给宿主。由于lucinids在浅海沉积物中非常丰富，其对孔隙水组成、营养悬浮液、沉积物生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尚不清楚，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lucinids种群和/或功能多样性的下降如何影响沿海生物群系和生态系统服务，甚至不清楚是什么导致了lucinids种群的总体下降。本项目将研究从原始到高度改变的浅海环境中未被开发的lucinid化学共生生物的遗传、分类和功能多样性。采样将在佛罗里达州、加利福尼亚州和巴哈马群岛进行。研究人员还将测试描述过去地质时期lucinid-bacteria生物多样性的方法。这项研究有望填补我们对lucinids化学共生系统的理解空白，包括lucinids及其内共生体的基因表达如何在不断变化的生态系统条件下发生改变，特别是由于人为影响。该研究将填补对自然和人为干扰敏感生境中可能发生的lucinids生物多样性丧失的理解的主要空白，并将对沿海资源管理决策具有重要意义。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方面的跨学科培训，包括在巴哈马的实地研究、博物馆收藏标准、实验室研究和计算生物信息学方面的培训。来自代表性不足的STEM群体的学生将参与该项目，并通过正式和非正式的课堂、公开演讲机会和博物馆活动，参与大学外展和指导计划，以共生和生物多样性主题为目标。

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.