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

研究人员将研究人类种群对珊瑚礁健康的影响，以及对常见渔业物种椭圆形鱿鱼繁殖行为的影响。由于其复杂的交配表现和行为，鱿鱼是一种理想的行为研究有机体。鱿鱼种群直接受到支持繁殖的环境因素变化的影响，包括珊瑚漂白和河流径流。这项研究将与琉球大学的池田由祖鲁博士一起进行，并将受益于他在实验室和野外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的项目得以完成。项目1：在与不同大小的人类种群相邻的本地珊瑚礁栖息地进行椭圆形鱿鱼种群数量的实地调查；项目2：椭圆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常见渔业物种影响的了解，为未来的保护工作提供信息。通过野外和实验室实验，研究城市化对椭圆形乌贼(Sepioteuthis Lessoniana)繁殖行为和种群数量的影响。项目1：将在城市化冲绳岛附近的珊瑚礁和矢山群岛的偏远珊瑚礁进行观测研究，以记录椭圆形鱿鱼卵群、亚成体、成体和珊瑚物种的丰度。项目2：研究人员将在人工鱼礁环境中对鱿鱼进行行为研究。每组8-10只成年椭圆形鱿鱼将经历四种栖息地条件，范围从“差”(空的)到“富”的(人工海藻和珊瑚)。每天都会观察它们的交配和产卵行为，包括求偶信号、精巢转移、产卵数量和产卵条件。预计在城市化地区，鱿鱼群落将变得更小，而水箱条件较差的鱿鱼将表现出较少的交配行为和卵群。该项目将阐明人类活动对鱿鱼繁殖的影响，并提供可能适用于许多珊瑚礁生态系统的保护措施。该奖项根据东亚和太平洋夏季学院计划，支持一名美国研究生的暑期研究，由NSF和日本科学促进会共同资助。

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.