Control of reproduction in benthic marine invertebrates

海洋无脊椎动物的繁殖成功依赖于配子合成和产卵的同步性。实现这一目标的机制涉及许多步骤，包括感知环境线索和通过化学信号进行相互作用。我的研究旨在确定外源和内源因素在北方和热带物种繁殖成功中所起的作用。对海参的初步研究表明，个体之间的化学交流与环境因素一起作用，以确保同步的配子发生和大量产卵，内脏周围的体腔体液在产卵事件期间变得具有生物活性。我们还发现，许多棘皮动物和软体动物表现出农历和昼夜节律的聚集和繁殖。由于最近在持有深海无脊椎动物方面取得了突破，我的工作的一个新部分集中在半深海物种繁殖的潜在因素上，这些物种可能受到有限的环境波动的影响，但仍可能表现出季节性的繁殖周期。本研究方案的短期目标是：1)利用为海参开发的技术，在其他海洋无脊椎动物中找到化学交流的证据；2)比较环境和化学线索在不同繁殖周期的不同深海物种生殖过程中的重要性；3)调查深海物种的生殖同步性水平，并阐明确保这一水平的因素；4)利用多水平分析和生物测定，完善对生殖周期中身体组成部分的生物活性特性的知识；5)调查“哨兵”个体的概念(据信更容易接受环境线索，并利用化学信号传递这些信号)。长期目标是澄清外部因素和种间交流各自发挥的作用，并调查前者可能如何通过后者转移。更好地了解底栖动物的生物节律和化学通讯可以帮助设计新的水产养殖技术和改进保护海洋生物栖息地免受环境干扰的方法。

Reproductive success in marine invertebrates depends on the synchronization of gamete synthesis and spawning. Mechanisms through which this is achieved involve a number of steps, including perception of environmental cues and interactions via chemical signals. My research has been aimed at determining the roles played by exogenous and endogenous factors in the reproductive success of boreal and tropical species. Initial work with sea cucumbers has revealed that inter-individual chemical communication acts together with environmental factors to ensure synchronous gametogenesis and mass-spawning and that perivisceral coelomic fluid becomes bioactive during spawning events. We also found that many echinoderms and molluscs display lunar and circadian rhythms of aggregation and reproduction. Due to a recent breakthrough in the holding of deep-sea invertebrates, a new segment of my work focuses on the factors underlying reproduction in bathyal species, which are presumably exposed to limited environmental fluctuations, yet may still exhibit seasonal breeding cycles. The short term goals of the present research program are to: 1) find evidence of chemical communication in other marine invertebrates using the techniques developed for sea cucumbers; 2) compare the importance of environmental and chemical cues in the reproductive processes of species from various depths with different breeding periodicities; 3) investigate the level of reproductive synchrony in deep-sea species and elucidate the factors involved in ensuring it; 4) refine knowledge of the bioactive properties of body components over the reproductive cycle using multilevel analyses and bioassays; and 5) investigate the concept of "sentinel" individuals (believed to be more receptive to environmental cues, and to use chemical signals to relay those to conspecifics). The long term goals are to clarify the respective roles played by external factors and interspecific exchanges and investigate how the former can perhaps be translocated via the latter. Better knowledge of biological rhythms and chemical communication in benthic animals could help devise new aquaculture techniques and improved ways to protect marine habitats from environmental disturbances.