Exploration, conservation, & development of marine biodiversity in Fiji

我们的总体目标是：（1）协调南太平洋生物作为药物资源的研究 用于治疗太平洋岛屿和美国的重要疾病以及新型生物能源应用 (2) 支持生物勘探所依赖的生物多样性的可持续利用，以及 (3) 了解 该过程使珊瑚礁生态系统退化并启动适合当地的保护措施 增强珊瑚礁对当地和全球压力的抵御能力，(4) 利用 NIH、南太平洋大学 (USP)， 和其他资源来发展南太平洋生物多样性保护和药物发现中心 (SPCBCDD) 转变为一个自我维持的机构，为运营 USP 的 12 个国家（库克群岛、斐济、 基里巴斯、马绍尔群岛、瑙鲁、纽埃、萨摩亚、所罗门群岛、托克劳、汤加、图瓦卢和瓦努阿图），以及 (5) 发展珊瑚礁活石的“绿色”养殖，将其作为环境适宜且经济可行的方法 替代目前从斐济珊瑚礁进行活石开采的破坏性做法。药物发现将聚焦 (1) 系统发育独特且化学丰富的海洋放线菌产生的代谢物具有活性 生物医学筛选并拥有对可持续能源开发有价值的新颖代谢途径，以及 (2) 富含化学物质的珊瑚礁大型生物，它们通常会上调防御化学反应，以应对 来自天敌的攻击、模拟攻击或其他压力。这些生物体的提取物将 针对相关模型进行生物测定，包括：耐药细菌、真菌、结核病、疟疾、心理障碍、 和癌症。此外，我们将评估热带珊瑚礁生物多样性的模式并进行实地实验 确定引起海藻的常见压力（例如过度捕捞、营养化）的相对影响 珊瑚的替换并加速了世界珊瑚礁上正在发生的生物多样性的急剧丧失 宽。为此，我们将确定所涉及的过程和机制，阐明那些关键的 控制最具攻击性的海藻的食草动物，并与村领导合作开发有效的 基于这种科学输入的资源管理策略。我们还将继续开发基于网络的 我们为资助斐济珊瑚礁和红树林系统的保护而创建了基金会。 相关性（参见说明）： 该项目重点关注海洋微生物和斐济珊瑚礁生物作为生物活性物质的生产者 次生代谢物可开发为药物来治疗两国人民的疾病 美国和发展中国家，特别是南太平洋国家。其他目标是保护生物 基于可持续发展的珊瑚礁资源和斐济沿海村庄的经济发展 做法。

Our overall goals are to : (1) coordinate investigations of South Pacific organisms as pharmaceutical resources for treating diseases of importance in the Pacific Islands and United States and for novel bioenergy applications (2) support sustainable uses of the biodiversity upon which such bioprospecting depends, and (3) understand the processes degrading coral reef ecosystems and initiate locally-appropriate conservation measures to enhance reef resiliance to both local and global pressures, (4) leverage NIH, University of the South Pacific (USP), and other resources to develop the South Pacific Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Drug Discovery (SPCBCDD) into a self-sustaining institution serving the 12 countries that operate USP (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), and (5) develop "green" culturing of coral reef live rock as an environmentally appropriate and economically viable substiture for the present destructive practices of live rock mining from Fijian reefs. Drug discovery will focus on (1) phylogenetically distinct and chemically rich marine actinomycetes making metabolites that are active in biomedical screens and that hosts novel metabolic pathways valuable for sustainable energy development, and (2) on chemically-rich coral reef macroorganisms that commonly upregulate defensive chemistry in response to attack from natural enemies, simulated attack, or other stresses. Extracts from these organisms will be bioassayed against relevant models including: drug resistant bacteria, fungi, TB, Malaria, psychological disorders, and cancer. Additionally, we will evaluate patterns in tropical reef biodiversity and conduct field experiments to determine the relative impacts of common stresses (e.g., overfishing, nutrification) causing seaweed replacement of corals and precipitating the dramatic loss of biodiversity that is occurring on coral reefs world- wide. Toward this end we will identify the processes and mechanisms involved, elucidate those critical herbivores that control the most aggressive seaweeds, and work with village leaders to develop effective resource management strategies based on this scientific input. We will also continue developing a web based foundation we have created for funding conservation of Fijian coral reef and mangrove systems. RELEVANCE (See instructions): This project focuses on marine microbes and Fijian coral reef organisms as producers of biologically active secondary metabolites that can be developed as pharmaceuticals to address diseases of peoples of both the U.S. and developing countries, especially in the South Pacific. Additional goals are the conservation of biotic resources on coral reefs and economic development of coastal Fijian villages based on sustainable practices.