The Behavioral Repertoire of Dinoflagellates: High-Speed, High-Resolution Imaging of Ecologically Important Species-Species Interactions

鞭毛藻是海洋生态系统中数量丰富且具有重要生态意义的物种，在海洋食物网中发挥着多种作用。对公众来说，它们最广为人知的可能是与周期性有害藻华有关的生物，或者是与快速增长的种群产生的毒素影响鱼类、贝类和海洋哺乳动物以及人类对沿海资源的利用有关的生物。这些单细胞生物已经进化出了一系列从环境中获取营养、捕捉猎物和躲避捕食者的行为。在这个项目中，研究人员将在实验室和野外使用一种新开发的高速微尺度成像系统（HSMIS），以前所未有的空间和时间细节表征鞭毛藻的行为，以了解生态上重要的物种-物种相互作用。目的是了解鞭毛藻的行为、形态和生态功能之间的关系。更广泛地说，结果将有助于解释海洋浮游生物的生物量、分布和化学循环的调节过程。此外，研究人员将开发和使用一种新技术，为本科生提供研究培训，并向公众进行演示和讲座。鞭毛藻是海洋生态系统中数量最多、生态意义最重要的类群之一，在海洋食物网中发挥着多种作用。这些单细胞生物已经进化出了一系列令人印象深刻的感官、化感化学和行为能力，以获取营养、捕捉猎物、躲避捕食者和与其他生物竞争。然而，这一功能在很大程度上仍未被探索，部分原因是传统的显微镜限制了在相关尺度上对鞭毛藻自然行为的观察。研究人员将进行一个实验室和实地项目，使用高速微尺度成像系统（HSMIS）在一系列生态重要物种之间的相互作用中，以前所未有的空间和时间细节来表征鞭毛藻的行为。HSMIS克服了传统显微镜固有的几个限制，例如由于样品体积小而产生的壁效应，限制在水平视野内，以及使用强光引起的强对流。目标是实现对物种间探测、回避和捕获的机制理解。观察将跨越大小尺度和营养水平的范围，并将包括不同鞭毛推进系统的例子。游泳和水流的差异将被用来理解身体形态和运动学在营养摄取、资源竞争、选择性进食和捕食者/寄生虫躲避方面的权衡。

Dinoflagellates are abundant and ecologically important species in marine ecosystems, and they play diverse roles in marine food webs. They may be best known to the general public as the organisms associated with periodic harmful algal blooms, or situations when toxins produced by fast-growing populations affect fish, shellfish, and marine mammals, as well as human use of coastal resources. These single-celled organisms have evolved a range of behaviors for obtaining nutrients from the environment, capturing prey, and evading predators. In this project, the investigators will use a newly developed high-speed microscale imaging system (HSMIS) in the lab and field to characterize dinoflagellate behaviors in unprecedented detail in space and time to understand ecologically important species-species interactions. The goal is to understand the relationships among behavior, morphology, and ecological function for dinoflagellates. More broadly, results will help explain processes that regulate the biomass of, distribution of, and chemical cycling by marine plankton. In addition, the investigators will develop and use a novel technology, provide research training for undergraduate students, and give demonstrations and lectures to the public.Dinoflagellates are one of the most abundant and ecologically important groups in marine ecosystems, playing diverse roles in marine food webs. These single-celled organisms have evolved an impressive repertoire of sensory, allelochemical, and behavioral capabilities for obtaining nutrients, capturing prey, evading predators, and competing against other organisms. This repertoire remains largely unexplored, however, in part because traditional microscopy limits observations at the relevant scales for the natural behavior of dinoflagellates. The investigators will conduct a laboratory and field project to use a high-speed microscale imaging system (HSMIS) to characterize dinoflagellate behavior in unprecedented spatial and temporal detail across a range of ecologically important species-species interactions. HSMIS overcomes several limitations inherent to traditional microscopy, such as wall effects due to small sample volumes, confinement to a horizontal field-of-view, and strong convection caused by using strong light. The goal is to achieve a mechanistic understanding of interspecies detection, avoidance, and capture. Observations will span a range of size scales and trophic levels and will include examples of different flagellar propulsive systems. Differences in swimming and flow will be used to understand trade-offs in body form and kinematics for nutrient uptake, resource competition, selective feeding, and predator/parasite avoidance.