Collaborative Research: RAPID: Sea Star Wasting Disease in the High Antarctic: Deciphering the Role of Shifting Carbon and Climate Cycles on a Keystone Predator

这个快速项目的目的是研究一个零星发生的海星星消耗疾病的麦克默多声音利用潜水资源的职业生涯赠款瑟伯。该疾病于2019年首次被发现，该小组于2022年在麦克默多湾的Cinder Cone甲烷渗漏附近的研究地点记录了第二次发生。海星是包括南极在内的许多海底生态系统的关键物种，这种疾病在世界范围内造成了重大的人口损失。在南大洋，海星星Odontaster validus捕食Acodontaster probably，一种南极巨型海绵的捕食者。 到2022年，约30%的O. validus在甲烷渗漏受到影响。在其他地区，与该病相关的条件是环境缺氧、温暖的温度和有机物富集。最近的这次爆发提供了研究这种疾病如何在SO中发展的机会，并检验氧气动力学在SSWS发展中起关键作用的假设。研究人员的目标是测量煤渣锥甲烷渗漏内外以及受影响和未受影响的海星表面的氧气浓度，并确定SSWS的疾病原因和微生物组特征是否在南极和非南极之间相似。南极爆发。这些发现可用于了解未来气候条件对南大洋海洋生物疾病爆发的潜在影响，这些海洋生物对生态系统功能和健康至关重要。除了疾病动力学之外，这项研究还将有助于了解甲烷渗漏如何影响底栖氧动力学。其他更广泛的影响包括通过学生主导的YouTube纪录片传播研究，并促进早期职业URM研究员从NSF博士后到教师职位的过渡（该项目病毒组成部分的领导）。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。

This RAPID project aims to study a sporadic occurrence of sea star wasting disease in McMurdo sound by leveraging diving resources of a CAREER grant to Thurber. The disease was first noted in 2019, with a second occurrence documented by the group at their study site near a methane seep at Cinder Cone in McMurdo Sound in 2022. Sea stars are key species in many benthic ecosystems, including the Antarctic, and this disease has caused significant losses in populations worldwide. In the Southern Ocean, the sea star Odontaster validus preys upon Acodontaster conspicuous, a predator of Antarctic giant sponges. In 2022, about 30% of the O. validus at the methane seep were affected. The conditions associated with the disease in other areas are environmental hypoxia, warm temperatures, and organic enrichment. This recent outbreak provides the opportunity to study how the disease may progress in the SO, and test the hypothesis that oxygen dynamics play a key role in the development of SSWS.The investigators aim to measure oxygen concentrations on and off the Cinder Cone methane seep and at the surface of affected and unaffected sea stars and identify whether the disease causes and microbiome characteristics of SSWS are similar between Antarctic and non-Antarctic outbreaks. These findings can be used to understand the potential effects of future climate conditions on disease outbreaks of Southern Ocean marine organisms critical to ecosystem function and health. In addition to disease dynamics, the study will also help to understand how methane seepage impacts benthic oxygen dynamics. Other broader impacts include communicating the research through a student led YouTube documentary and facilitating the transition of an early career URM researcher from NSF postdoc to a faculty position (lead on viral component of the project).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.