DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Mechanisms of thermal ontogenetic plasticity and adaptation in native and invasive fishes

全球气候变化导致的环境条件的迅速变化已经在世界各地产生了深远的影响，预计今后将变得更加普遍。了解耐受性，可塑性和适应高温的作用对预测生物至关重要？应对气候变化和做出知情的保护管理决策。我们的项目结合了生态，生理和基因组学的方法，以提高对两种同域鱼类，濒危的地方性三角洲胡瓜鱼（Hypomensus transacificus）和入侵的内陆银汉鱼（Menidia beryllina）的耐热机制和发育可塑性的理解。使用这种方法，我们将比较基因和生理途径，以科普这些物种的热挑战，提供洞察哪些鱼类将？赢家？还是？失败者？在未来，更温暖的世界。大多数鱼类是外温动物，全球气候变化预计将对其生物多样性和分布产生巨大影响。我们的工作将极大地丰富鱼类适应变温环境的热耐受机制的理解，以及具有同域分布的本地和入侵物种科普气候变化的能力。因此，这项研究将有助于对进化生态学问题以及保护管理相关问题的基本理解。

Rapid changes in environmental conditions due to global climate change are already having profound effects around the world, and are expected to become more common in the future. Understanding the roles of tolerance, plasticity and adaptation to high temperatures is paramount to forecasting organisms? responses to climate change and making informed conservation management decisions. Our project combines ecological, physiological and genomic approaches to enhance understanding of thermal tolerance mechanisms and developmental plasticity in two sympatric fishes, the endangered endemic delta smelt (Hypomensus transpacificus), and the invasive inland silverside (Menidia beryllina). Using this approach, we will compare genes and physiological pathways used to cope with thermal challenges for these species, offering insight into which fishes will be ?winners? or ?losers? in the future, warmer world. Most fishes are ectotherms, and global climate change is predicted to have dramatic impacts on their biodiversity and distributions. Our work will greatly enrich the understanding of the mechanisms of thermal tolerance in fish adapted to variable temperature environments, and the ability of native and invasive species with sympatric distributions to cope with climate change. Thus, this research will significant contribute to both the fundamental understanding of evolutionary ecological questions as well as issues relevant to conservation management.