NSF-IOS-BSF: Mediation of biological filtration in marine suspension feeders: significance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors

NSF-IOS-BSF：海洋悬浮饲养者生物过滤的介导：内在和外在因素的重要性

• 批准号: 1755409
• 负责人: J. Evan Ward
• 金额: $ 76.44万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1755409&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; IOS; BSF; Mediation; biological

Filter-feeding marine animals such as bivalve molluscs (e.g., clams, oysters, scallops) and sea squirts are among the most important members of bottom-dwelling communities, both for their environmental impacts and commercial value. Their feeding processes strongly couple organisms in the water-column with those on the bottom, and can influence the general "health" of near-shore ecosystems. In this research, scientists from the University of Connecticut will collaborate with scientists in Israel and Canada to study filter feeding using a combination of field and laboratory experiments. Using their previously developed methods and innovative approaches, scientists will examine, with unprecedented accuracy and resolution, the full range of planktonic cells that filter feeders can capture, and address fundamental questions regarding physiological control (or lack thereof) of particle feeding. One of the novel aspects of the research is that scientist will determine if particle capture by the animal responds to changes in the types of planktonic cells available, or if capture is a consequence of the characteristics of the cells themselves (e.g., size, shape, surface properties). Results of this research will enable better predictions of the types of plankton that are and are not filtered efficiently, provide insight into the factors that influence particle capture, help define the food resources of bottom-dwelling filter feeders in different environments, and strengthen existing models regarding competition between different species of filter feeders and their influence on the community structure of plankton in near-shore ecosystems. The project will involve high-school, undergraduate and graduate students, and will develop educational packages for home-school and marine-science educators. This project will investigate the plasticity of particle capture in two groups of invertebrate suspension-feeders (bivalves, tunicates) and determine if the process can be mediated by intrinsic (behavioral, physiological) or extrinsic (particle properties) factors. The work focuses on feeding because of the primacy of this process in determining fitness. Specifically, researchers will determine if particle capture responds to changes in the number and types of planktonic cells available (i.e., plasticity), or if capture is a consequence of the physicochemical properties of the cells (e.g., size, shape, surface charge, wettability). They will employ their previously developed methods and innovative approaches to study suspension feeding using a combination of in situ techniques, controlled dock-side experiments, in vivo laboratory assays, flow cytometry, and DNA barcoding by means of Illumina sequencing. The combined application of these methods will allow researchers to examine, with unprecedented accuracy and resolution, the full range of planktonic cells that suspension-feeders capture, and address fundamental questions regarding physiological control of particle capture (or lack thereof) under different particle spectra and, thus, changing food supplies. In the process, they will re-examine the paradigm that biological filtration of plankton is mostly controlled by particle size. Results of the study will enable better predictions of the types of plankton that are and are not captured efficiently, provide insight into the factors influencing mechanisms of particle capture, help define the food resources of mesotrophic and oligotrophic suspension-feeders, and strengthen existing models regarding interspecific competition and impacts of suspension-feeders on microbial community structure of the seston.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

滤食性海洋动物，如双壳类软体动物（例如，蛤、牡蛎、扇贝）和海葵是海底生物群落中最重要的成员，因为它们对环境的影响和商业价值。它们的摄食过程使水柱中的生物与水底的生物紧密结合，并可影响近岸生态系统的总体“健康”。 在这项研究中，康涅狄格大学的科学家将与以色列和加拿大的科学家合作，结合实地和实验室实验来研究滤食性。 使用他们以前开发的方法和创新方法，科学家们将以前所未有的准确性和分辨率检查滤食器可以捕获的全系列反渗透细胞，并解决有关颗粒饲养的生理控制（或缺乏）的基本问题。 这项研究的一个新方面是，科学家将确定动物捕获的颗粒是否对可用的细胞类型的变化做出反应，或者捕获是否是细胞本身特性的结果（例如，尺寸、形状、表面性质）。 这项研究的结果将能够更好地预测的浮游生物的类型，并没有有效地过滤，提供洞察影响颗粒捕获的因素，帮助定义在不同环境中的底栖滤食性动物的食物资源，并加强现有的模型之间的竞争不同种类的滤食性动物和它们对浮游生物群落结构的影响在近岸生态系统。 该项目将涉及高中生、本科生和研究生，并将为家庭-学校和海洋科学教育工作者制定教育一揽子计划。该项目将调查两组无脊椎动物悬浮饲养者（双壳类，被囊类）的颗粒捕获的可塑性，并确定该过程是否可以由内在（行为，生理）或外在（颗粒特性）因素介导。这项工作的重点是喂养，因为这一过程在决定健身的首要地位。具体来说，研究人员将确定粒子捕获是否对可用的细胞数量和类型的变化做出反应（即，可塑性），或者如果捕获是细胞物理化学性质的结果（例如，尺寸、形状、表面电荷、润湿性）。他们将采用他们以前开发的方法和创新方法，使用原位技术、受控码头实验、体内实验室测定、流式细胞术和通过Illumina测序进行DNA条形码编码的组合来研究悬浮液饲养。这些方法的组合应用将使研究人员能够以前所未有的准确度和分辨率检查悬浮饲养者捕获的全方位细胞，并解决有关不同粒子光谱下粒子捕获（或缺乏）的生理控制的基本问题，从而改变食物供应。 在此过程中，他们将重新审视浮游生物的生物过滤主要受颗粒大小控制的范式。 研究结果将能够更好地预测有效捕获和不有效捕获的浮游生物类型，深入了解影响颗粒捕获机制的因素，帮助确定中营养和贫营养悬浮饲养者的食物资源，并加强现有的关于种间竞争和暂停影响的模型-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。