OCE-RIG: Changes in Herbivore-Algal Interactions in Kelp Forest Ecosystems in Response to Ocean Acidification

海带森林生态系统为商业和休闲渔业提供食物，支持生物多样性，并促进沿海社区的旅游业。在这个项目中，研究人员将通过研究影响年轻海带生存的生态过程，研究环境变化的加速如何影响海带森林生态系统和沿海社区。研究结果可能有助于海带森林生态系统的管理，因为风暴频率和强度的增加提高了影响幼海带生存的过程的重要性（即，草食动物）在未来海藻森林的恢复和持久性。此外，研究生和本科生的培训机会，在STEM的代表性不足的群体被纳入研究计划。该项目的总体目标是确定海水温度和碳酸盐化学联合收割机如何结合，以影响广泛的无脊椎食草动物和巨型海带，Macrocystis pyrifera的早期生活史阶段之间的相互作用。在海带森林生态系统中，食草动物可以限制幼海带的生存，当种群必须从微观阶段重建时，干扰。海带森林的恢复动态在未来的情景中可能特别重要，因为预计干扰会增加（例如，风暴和极端事件）。当结合起来，变暖和海洋酸化可以大大减少海带的早期生活史阶段的生存，从而增加草食动物在调节海带森林恢复和动态在高二氧化碳的世界的重要性。该项目将研究加州海流中海带森林的底栖生物群落，这是一个快速酸化的地区。使用析因实验室实验，未来的温度和CO2情景的影响，人均和每人口的相互作用强度的广泛的草食动物物种的早期生活史阶段的巨型海带将进行测试。研究了气候变暖和海洋酸化对红鳍金枪鱼营养品质和适口性的影响。还将测试pyrifera，这可能间接影响相互作用的强度。

Kelp forest ecosystems provide food for commercial and recreational fisheries, support biodiversity, and promote tourism in coastal communities. In this project, the investigator will examine how accelerating environmental changes could affect kelp forest ecosystems and coastal communities by studying the ecological processes influencing the survival of young kelp. Research results may contribute to management of kelp forest ecosystems as increased storm frequency and intensity elevates the importance of processes affecting the survival of young kelp (i.e., herbivory) in the recovery and persistence of future kelp forests. In addition, training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students from under-represented groups in STEM are integrated into the research plan.The overall objective of this project is to determine how seawater temperature and carbonate chemistry combine to affect the interactions between a wide range of invertebrate herbivores and the early life history stages of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. In kelp forest ecosystems, herbivores can limit survival of juvenile kelp following disturbances when populations must reestablish from microscopic stages. Recovery dynamics in kelp forests may be especially important in future scenarios with projected increases in disturbances (e.g., storminess and extreme events). When combined, warming and ocean acidification can substantially reduce the survival of early life history stages of kelp thereby increasing the importance of herbivory in regulating kelp forest recovery and dynamics in a high CO2 world. This project will examine benthic communities from kelp forests in the California Current, an area of rapid acidification. Using a factorial laboratory experiment, the effects of future temperature and CO2 scenarios on per capita and per population interaction strengths of a wide range of herbivore species on the early life history stages of the giant kelp will be tested. The the effects of warming and ocean acidification on the nutritional quality and palatability of M. pyrifera will also be tested, which could indirectly affect interaction strengths.