2023 Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems Gordon Research Conferences

中生珊瑚礁是指存在于影响浅层珊瑚礁的大多数应激源深度极限以下的深部珊瑚礁(约100-500英尺深)。因此，人们有希望认为，这些深海珊瑚礁可能代表着物种的“救生艇”，它们可以重新播种浅水礁，以确保它们的生存。尽管这些深海珊瑚礁的生物多样性得到了很好的研究，但最近的许多重要研究都涉及到这些独特珊瑚礁的生态、进化和管理。第二届戈登中游珊瑚礁研究会议提供了一个论坛，专注于这些问题的领先科学家和未来的科学家可以比较数据、技术和特定地点的差异，以增加我们对深海珊瑚礁及其在珊瑚礁弹性中的作用的理解。该项目的资金支持纳入职业生涯早期的研究人员。中游珊瑚礁(MCRs)是受压力影响的各种广泛分布的珊瑚礁物种的避难所，越来越多地被研究。然而，也有证据表明，一些MCR物种具有不同的种群，沿着从浅到深的梯度具有独特的分子和生理适应。虽然MCR经常是机会主义探索和采样的对象，但这些生态系统中最近的高级研究解决了与生活在这种非生物因素陡峭梯度中的物种的生态学、生理学和进化生物学有关的基本问题。第二届MCRE GRC的主题将是不断变化的科学问题和技术，这些问题和技术正在迅速改变我们对MCR过程及其在珊瑚礁生物中更广泛的作用的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Mesophotic Coral Reefs are deep reefs (~100-500 ft depths) that exist below the depth limits of most stressors impacting shallow coral reefs. As such, there is hope that these deep reefs might represent a “lifeboat” for species that can reseed shallow reefs to ensure their survival. Although the biodiversity of these deep reefs is well examined, many recent significant studies address the ecology, evolution, and management of these unique reefs. The 2nd Gordon Research Conference on Mesophotic Coral Reefs provides a forum where the leading scientists, and future scientists, focused on these questions can compare data, techniques, and site-specific differences to increase our understanding of deep reefs, and their role in coral reef resilience. Funds from this project support the inclusion of early-career researchers. Mesophotic Coral Reefs (MCRs) are increasingly studied in the context of a refugia for a variety of broadly-distributed reef species that are impacted by stressors. However, there is also evidence that some MCR species have distinct populations with unique molecular and physiological adaptations along a shallow to deep depth gradient. While MCRs are frequently the subject of opportunistic exploration and sampling, recent advanced studies within these ecosystems address fundamental questions regarding the ecology, physiology, and evolutionary biology of species living within this steep gradient of abiotic factors. The theme of the 2nd MCRE GRC will be the changing scientific questions and techniques, that are rapidly transforming our understanding of MCR processes and their broader role in coral reef biomes.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.