EAPSI: Impacts of Human Activity on Squid Population in the Coral Reefs

研究人员将研究人口对珊瑚礁健康的影响，以及对椭圆形鱿鱼（一种常见的渔业物种）繁殖行为的影响。鱿鱼由于其复杂的交配表现和行为，是一种理想的行为研究生物。鱿鱼的数量直接受到支持繁殖的环境因素变化的影响，包括珊瑚白化和河流径流。这项研究将由琉球大学的Yuzuru Ikeda博士进行，并将受益于他在实验室和实地头足类动物行为研究方面的专业知识。附近的珊瑚礁和先进的大学设施将使两个互补项目得以完成。项目一：在与不同大小的人类种群相邻的天然珊瑚礁生境中进行卵状鱿鱼种群大小的实地调查；项目二：卵形鱿鱼理想繁殖栖息地的实验室研究。这些项目的结果可以通过加强对人类对普通渔业物种影响的理解，为未来的保护工作提供信息。研究了城市化对卵状鱿鱼（Sepioteuthis lessoniana）繁殖行为和种群规模的影响。项目一：将在城市化冲绳岛附近的珊瑚礁和八山群岛的偏远珊瑚礁进行观察研究，记录椭圆形鱿鱼卵群、亚成虫、成虫和珊瑚物种丰度。项目二：研究人员将对人工礁环境下的鱿鱼进行行为研究。每组8-10只成年卵状鱿鱼将经历“贫瘠”（空旷）和“富饶”（人工海藻和珊瑚）四种栖息地条件。每天观察每只鸟的交配和产卵行为，包括求爱信号、精子转移、卵子数量和卵子状况。城市化地区的鱿鱼群落规模较小，而“差”池条件下的鱿鱼交配行为和卵群数量较少。该项目将阐明人类活动对鱿鱼繁殖的影响，并提供可适用于许多珊瑚礁生态系统的保护措施。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会和日本科学促进会共同资助，隶属于东亚和太平洋暑期研究所项目，支持一名美国研究生进行暑期研究。

The researcher will study the effects of human populations on the health of coral reefs and also on the reproductive behaviors of the oval squid, a common fisheries species. Squid are an ideal behavioral study organism due to their complex mating displays and behaviors. Populations of squid are directly affected by changes in the environmental factors that support reproduction, including coral bleaching and river runoff. The study will be conducted with Dr. Yuzuru Ikeda at the University of the Ryukyus and will benefit from his expertise in laboratory and field-based cephalopod behavior research. Nearby reefs and sophisticated university facilities will allow completion of two complementary projects. Project 1: field surveys of oval squid population sizes in native reef habitats adjacent to human populations of different size; Project 2: a laboratory study of ideal reproductive habitats for oval squids. Results from these projects can inform future conservation efforts by bolstering understanding of human effects on common fishery species. The field and laboratory experiments will examine the impact of urbanization on the reproductive behavior and population size of oval squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana). Project 1: observational studies will be conducted in the reefs near urbanized Okinawa Island and the remote reefs of the Yaeyama Islands to document oval squid egg clusters, sub-adults, adults, and coral species abundances. Project 2: the researcher will perform behavioral studies of squids in artificial reef environments. Groups of 8-10 adult oval squid will experience four habitat conditions ranging between "poor" (empty) and "enriched" (artificial seaweed and corals). Each will be observed daily for mating and spawning behaviors, including courtship signaling, spermatophore transfer, number of eggs, and egg condition. Squid communities are expected to be smaller in urbanized areas, while squid in "poor" tank conditions will show a smaller number of mating behaviors and egg clusters. This project will elucidate the effects of human activity on squid reproduction and inform conservation measures that could be applicable to many reef ecosystems. This award, under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program, supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.