Photoperiodic time measurement in Antarctic krill: - The effect of photoperiod on the seasonal development and the role of clock-genes -

南极磷虾的光周期时间测量： - 光周期对季节发展的影响和时钟基因的作用 -

• 批准号: 88921242
• 负责人: Dr. Mathias Teschke
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Fachbereich Chronobiologie (CVK)
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2007-12-31 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/88921242?language=en
• 关键词: Photoperiodic; time; measurement; Antarctic; krill

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba plays a central role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, being the major trophic link between primary producers and several vertebrate top predators. Consequently, it is of vital importance to understand krill life history and biology as a key for developing self-sustaining management programmes for the krill fishery and to provide for the health of the entire Antarctic marine ecosystem. That requires knowledge of its seasonal development in general, and the behavioural and physiological mechanisms that enable krill to adapt to the Antarctic environmental conditions in particular. The habitat of krill is dominated by extreme seasonal changes in food availability, sea ice extent, day length, and light intensity. However, up to now the mechanisms in regard to synchronization between the seasonal development of krill and the seasonal cycles of food, ice and light are still poorly known. Laboratory studies have shown the influence of different simulated light regimes on physiological function of krill such as feeding activity, metabolic rates and maturity for the first time. The results suggest that photoperiod and light intensity are environmental triggers controlling seasonal behavioural and physiological characteristics of krill. The major aim of the proposed project is to study the potential effect of photoperiod on the seasonal development of life-cycle parameters of Antarctic krill. For this purpose, live krill will be exposed to a laboratory simulation of an annual course of Antarctic photoperiod. In addition, molecular analyses will identify circadian clock genes in krill that may be involved in daily and/or seasonal rhythms exhibited by krill. Whether the laboratory observations can be verified in the natural environment will be proved by analysing krill from different seasons and different latitudes in the wild.

南极磷虾（Euphausia superba）在南大洋生态系统中发挥着核心作用，是初级生产者与几种脊椎动物顶级捕食者之间的主要营养纽带。因此，了解磷虾的生活史和生物学是制定磷虾渔业自我维持管理方案和保障整个南极海洋生态系统健康的关键，这一点至关重要。这需要了解磷虾的季节性发展，以及使磷虾能够适应南极环境条件的行为和生理机制。磷虾的栖息地受食物供应、海冰范围、昼长和光照强度等极端季节性变化的支配。然而，到目前为止，磷虾的季节性发育与食物、冰和光的季节性循环同步的机制尚不清楚。实验室研究首次揭示了不同模拟光照条件对磷虾摄食活性、代谢率和成熟度等生理功能的影响。结果表明，光周期和光强度是控制磷虾季节性行为和生理特征的环境触发因素。本项目的主要目的是研究光周期对南极磷虾生命周期参数季节性发展的潜在影响。为此，活磷虾将暴露在实验室模拟南极每年的光周期过程中。此外，分子分析将确定磷虾体内的生物钟基因，这些基因可能与磷虾表现出的日常和/或季节节律有关。实验室观察能否在自然环境中得到验证，将通过分析不同季节和不同纬度的野生磷虾来证明。