Studies on the energy acquisition by the deep-sea benthos using colloidal gold and radioisotopes.

使用放射性同位素作为示踪剂，测量了小型底栖动物的摄取率。然而，由于生物体直接使用示踪剂，这种方法往往过于相信。在本研究中，我首先打算建立一种新的方法，以胶体金作为示踪剂来测量小型底栖动物的摄食率。然而，金被发现不适合作为示踪剂，因为在能量扩散X射线分析(EDX)中很难区分金和锌。另一方面，用铁而不是金作为示踪剂，得到了很好的结果。使用胶体铁比使用金更有利，因为摄入量不是用透射电子显微镜观察超薄切片的费时方法可以准确地定量，而是比使用配备扫描电子显微镜的EDX更容易。利用这种新方法，可以准确地测量大石湾四种浅水线虫的摄食率。利用线虫群落呼吸速率和季节消长的数据，还可以直接测量线虫群落的年生产量。一开始，我打算用这种新方法来测量深海小型底栖动物的摄食率。然而，由于开发新方法的延迟，我错过了将胶体铁应用于深海物种的新方法的机会，但我只是在白绳丸邮轮前往南极海期间使用胶体金作为一种新方法。辐射分析是定量测定金的最灵敏的方法。我想将这种方法应用于我在巡航中获得的材料。此外，我还想用载人潜水器将标有POC的铁喂给就地的深海动物。

The ingestion rate of meiobenthos has been measured using a radioisotope as a tracer. However, this methods tended to overstimate, bacause of the direct use of the tracer by the organisms. In the present study, I firstly intended to develop a new method to measure the ingestion rate of meiobenthos using colloidal gold as a tracer. However, gold was found to be not suitable as a tracer because it is difficult to distinguish gold from zinc in the energy diffusive X-ray analysis (EDX). Use of iron instead of gold as a tracer, on the other hand, gave excellent reslts. It was especially advantageous to use colloidal iron than gold, because ingestion rates could be quantified accurately not by the time consuming method that the observation fo ultra-thin sectinis using transmission electron microscope, but rather easier way that using EDX equipped with the scanning electron microscope. Using this new method, ingestion rates of four species of shallow water nematodes in Otsuchi Bay could be measured accurately. With data on respiration rates and seasonal fluctuation of nematode aseemblages, the yearly production of nematode communtity also could be measured directly. In the beginning, I intended to use the new method to measure the ingestion rates of deep-sea meiobenthos. However, dut to the delay in developing the new method, I missed the chance to apply the new method of using colloidal iron to the deep-sea species, but I simply used colloidal gold as a during the Hakuho Maru cruise to the Antarctic Ocean. The radiation analysis is the most sensitive to measure the gold quantitatively. I woul like to apply the method to the materials I obtained during the cruise. In addition, I would like to fed iron labeled POC to the deep-sea animals in situ using manned submersible.