NSF-BSF:Defining the Role of Steroids and Temperature in Coral Reproduction

全世界有5亿多人依靠珊瑚礁获得食物、收入和海岸保护。但大多数珊瑚礁都处于崩溃的边缘，这在很大程度上是由于海洋温度上升，预计到本世纪中叶，70-90%的珊瑚礁将退化。了解是什么驱动和破坏珊瑚繁殖，并有能力发现繁殖压力的早期迹象，对于保护全球受威胁的珊瑚礁生态系统至关重要。亚喀巴湾（果阿）的珊瑚对热应力具有独特的抵抗力。它们可能是世纪最后幸存的珊瑚礁之一，使它们成为一种宝贵的资源。该项目将通过研究果阿两种普遍存在的耐热珊瑚物种来审查珊瑚生殖生理学的关键方面，并将确定高温和暴露于化学污染物这两种全球环境压力因素对这些珊瑚生殖功能的单独和综合影响。该项目的调查结果及其将开发的测量工具将支持今后研究世界各地珊瑚种群在气候变化和不断扩大的沿海开发（世界许多珊瑚礁生态系统附近正在发生这种情况）下的压力源和复原力。在项目结束时举行的国际研讨会将扩大美国研究生的教育和国际合作能力，与来自整个果阿地区的科学家分享成果，支持今后制定一项区域方案，监测果阿的珊瑚繁殖情况，并鼓励今后开展研究合作。缓解环境压力。该项目将研究来自亚喀巴湾（果阿）的珊瑚的繁殖情况，这些珊瑚具有独特的耐热性。最近一份报告指出，果阿的几个关键珊瑚物种的广播产卵失去了同步性，因此必须开始评估在珊瑚礁退化之前这些特殊珊瑚成功繁殖的障碍。 研究人员将在果阿进行广泛的实地研究，在一个有80个水族馆的自动化设施中进行精确控制的中生态研究，并使用高分辨率质谱法进行先进的化学分析。这些创新实验将：1）描述特定类固醇（雌激素，睾酮，孕酮）在调节珊瑚长达数月的生殖周期中的作用; 2）评估两种常见且可能相互作用的环境压力因素（高温和外源性雌激素）对该周期的影响;以及3）开发第一种非侵入性方法，以高分辨率跟踪珊瑚生殖周期的进展。科学传播工作包括一系列可公开访问的视频博客和实地日记，研究生课程和国际研讨会，将有助于扩大研究的影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

More than 500 million people worldwide depend on coral reefs for food, income, and coastal protection. But most coral reefs are on the brink of collapse, due in large part to rising sea temperatures, with 70-90% predicted to degrade by mid-century. Knowledge of what drives and disrupts coral reproduction, and the ability to detect early signs of reproductive stress, are crucial to the conservation of globally threatened reef ecosystems. The corals of the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) are uniquely resistant to thermal stress. They may be one of the century’s last surviving reefs, making them an invaluable resource. This project will examine key aspects of coral reproductive physiology through the study of two prevalent, heat-tolerant species of coral in the GoA, and will determine the individual and combined effects of two global environmental stressors, high temperature and exposure to chemical contaminants, on these corals’ reproductive function. The project’s findings and the measurement tool it will develop will support future research on the stressors and resilience of coral populations worldwide in the face of climate change and expanding coastal development, which is occurring in proximity to many of the world’s reef ecosystems. The international workshop to be held at the project’s conclusion will broaden the education and the international collaborative capabilities of U.S. graduate students, share results with scientists from the entire GoA region, support future development of a regional program to monitor coral reproduction in the GoA and encourage future research collaborations.Recovery of the world’s collapsing coral reef ecosystems depends on successful coral reproduction and the mitigation of environmental stressors. This project will study reproduction in corals from the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA), which possess a unique thermal tolerance. A recent report of loss of synchrony in broadcast spawning in several key coral species in the GoA makes it imperative to begin evaluating impediments to successful reproduction in these exceptional corals before the reef degrades. Researchers will conduct extensive field studies in the GoA, precisely controlled mesocosm studies in an automated, 80-aquaria facility, and advanced chemical analyses using high-resolution mass spectrometry. These innovative experiments will: 1) characterize the role of specific steroids (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone) in regulating the months-long reproductive cycle in corals; 2) assess the impacts on that cycle of two common and potentially interactive environmental stressors, elevated temperature and exogenous estrogen; and 3) develop the first non-invasive method to track the progress of reproductive cycles in corals at high resolution. Science communication efforts including a series of publicly accessible video blogs and field diaries, a graduate course, and an international workshop, will contribute to broadening the impact of the research.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.