CAREER: Thermal stress and intertidal zonation: The neglected role of food supply

该项目采用实验室研究、计算机建模和现场实验相结合的方式，测试温度应力和能量限制对潮间带藤壶（Balanus glandula）垂直上限的相对影响。了解温度限制生物体成功的机制对于准确预测气候变化对生物系统的影响至关重要。过去在这一领域的工作强调极端温度的直接生理压力，但尚不清楚这种极端条件是否限制了野生物种。另一种情况是，动物可能只是缺乏足够的能量来抵御它们本来可以忍受的极端温度。这项工作有三个主要目标：1)扩展生理学中现有的建模方法（动态能量预算），用于每天在海洋和陆地条件之间交替的潮间带物种；2)结合现场实验，使用该模型来验证能量限制，而不是直接的热应力，限制了B. glandula在野外的成功的假设；3)利用野外和实验室测量来探索加州和华盛顿州藤壶种群之间的热耐受性和成功度差异。总之，这些项目将提高我们对腺芽孢杆菌热生理的理解，特别是对能量限制在热应激中的作用的理解。这项职业补助金的综合教育计划包含三个具体目标：1)利用研究机会吸引和留住生物学专业的学生，2)提高女性和少数民族本科生在生物学入门课程中的保留率和表现，以及3)提高普通大学人口对科学的理解。补助金的内容包括：为大学生和高中生提供新的研究机会，为二年级学生试行研究体验计划，为生物入门课程学生建立同行研究计划，为非科学专业学生开发强调科学素养的新课程。这些项目的教育效果将被严格测试，其结果将为PI，她的部门和更大的学术科学界的未来教学活动提供信息。这项职业资助的更广泛影响将是1)扩大妇女和代表性不足的少数民族在科学领域的参与，2)改善生物教育和PI的教育技能，3)提高公众科学素养，以及4)告知我们对全球气候变化的生物学后果的理解，这是一项关键的社会需求。

This CAREER grant uses a combination of laboratory studies, computer modeling, and field experiments to test the relative influence of temperature stress and energy limitation on the upper vertical limit of an intertidal barnacle (Balanus glandula). Understanding the mechanisms by which temperature limits an organism's success is critical to generating accurate predictions of the effect of climate change on biological systems. Past work in this field has emphasized the direct physiological stress of extreme temperatures, but it is unclear if such extreme conditions limit species in the wild. Alternately, animals may simply lack enough energy to defend against thermal extremes that they could otherwise tolerate. This work has three main objectives: 1) to extend an existing modeling approach in physiology (Dynamic Energy Budget) for use with intertidal species, which alternate daily between marine and terrestrial conditions, 2) to use the model, in conjunction with field experiments, to test the hypothesis that energy limitation, rather than direct thermal stress, limits the success of B. glandula in the wild; and, 3) to use field and laboratory measurements to explore how thermal tolerance and success differ between barnacle populations from California and Washington. Altogether, these projects will improve our understanding of the thermal physiology of B. glandula, specifically, and of the role of energy limitation in thermal stress, more generally.The integrated education plan of this CAREER grant contains three specific objectives: 1) to use research opportunities to attract and retain students in biology majors, 2) to improve the retention and performance of women and minority undergraduates in an introductory biology course, and 3) to improve the understanding of science by the general college population. The grant activities will include: generating new research opportunities for undergraduate and high school students, the piloting of a research experience program for sophomore-level students, the establishment of a peer-study program for students in an introductory biology course, and the development of a new course for non-science majors that emphasizes scientific literacy. The educational effectiveness of these programs will be rigorously tested and the results will inform the future teaching activities of the PI, her department, and the greater academic science community. The broader impacts of this CAREER grant will be 1) broadening the participation of women and under-represented minorities in science, 2) improving biology education and the educational skills of the PI, 3) increasing public scientific literacy, and 4) informing our understanding of the biological consequences of global climate change, a critical societal need.