Shuttle System for Evaluating Effects of Environmental Stressors on Fish Behaviour

用于评估环境应激对鱼类行为影响的穿梭系统

• 批准号: 472847-2015
• 负责人: Chapman, Lauren
• 金额: $ 4.48万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=564868
• 关键词: Shuttle; System; Evaluating; Effects; Environmental

Hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen, DO) is one of the most serious manifestations of human-induced stress to inland and coastal waters driven by influxes of wastes and fertilizer runoffs that accelerate eutrophication and pollution. Climate change may exacerbate hypoxia, because oxygen solubility decreases with rising temperature while the metabolism of ectotherms (cold-blooded organisms) like fish increases. Fishes employ many and diverse strategies to avoid problems associated with hypoxia. Some responses are activated quickly (e.g., minutes, days), whereas others are developmentally plastic and/or genetically fixed. Initial (fast) responses to hypoxic stress are often behavioural (e.g., avoidance behaviour) and may occur at DO levels far higher than lethal levels. These behavioural responses can alter crucial relationships between a fish and its environment (e.g., predator-prey interactions). Given the increasing incidence of hypoxia worldwide, it is critical that we learn to predict the levels at which low DO leads to behavioural changes and ecological effects. A very useful route to addressing these issues is the use of "choice" or "preference" tests to determine ecologically relevant thresholds. The Shuttle Box, an automated 2-compartment preference/avoidance test system designed by Loligo Systems, is unique in that it allows rigorous estimates of DO and thermal preference/avoidance behaviour and critical thresholds at which behavioural changes are induced by thermal and hypoxic stress. Using this system we propose to (1) quantify DO/temperature preference; (2) quantify how hypoxia and thermal stress modify behavioural interactions, and (3) how the responses to 1-2 are altered by the interaction of hypoxia and thermal stress. This equipment will facilitate collaboration and training both nationally and internationally, and results will have direct application to predicting response to hypoxia, a global environmental stressor, and its interaction with climate warming, another pervasive stressor. We estimate that each year this system will be used by at least 1 PDF, 2-3 graduate students, 3 undergraduates, and a research assistant, thus contributing to the training of 7-8 HQP per year.

低氧(低溶解氧，DO)是人类对内陆和沿海水域造成的压力的最严重表现之一，其原因是大量废物和化肥径流加速了富营养化和污染。气候变化可能会加剧缺氧，因为氧的溶解度随着温度的升高而下降，而鱼类等外温动物(冷血生物)的新陈代谢则会增加。鱼类采用许多不同的策略来避免与缺氧相关的问题。有些反应被迅速激活(例如，几分钟、几天)，而另一些反应是发育可塑性和/或遗传固定的。对低氧应激的初始(快速)反应通常是行为反应(例如，回避行为)，并且可能发生在远高于致死水平的DO水平。这些行为反应可以改变鱼与其环境之间的关键关系(例如，捕食者与猎物的相互作用)。鉴于全球范围内缺氧的发生率不断增加，我们必须学会预测低氧水平会导致行为变化和生态影响。解决这些问题的一个非常有用的途径是使用“选择”或“偏好”测试来确定与生态相关的阈值。由Lolio Systems设计的两舱自动偏好/回避测试系统Shuttle Box的独特之处在于，它可以对DO和热偏好/回避行为以及热和低氧应激导致行为变化的临界阈值进行严格估计。利用这个系统，我们建议(1)量化DO/温度偏好；(2)量化低氧和热应激如何改变行为交互作用；(3)如何通过低氧和热应激交互作用改变对1-2的反应。该设备将促进国内和国际的合作和培训，结果将直接应用于预测对缺氧的反应，以及它与气候变暖的相互作用，缺氧是一种全球环境应激，气候变暖是另一种普遍的应激。我们估计，每年将至少有1名PDF、2-3名研究生、3名本科生和1名研究助理使用该系统，从而有助于每年培训7-8名HQP。