Ecological processes influencing zooplankton productivity in highly dynamic estuarine transition zones

河口过渡区是淡水与盐水的混合区，是全球整个河流系统的关键生态交错区。这些生态系统在生物生产力方面具有很高的生态价值，而生物生产力是由河口再循环、潮汐混合和淡水排放等物理特性强烈驱动的。圣劳伦斯河口过渡区是甲壳类动物和重要商业鱼类的重要保留区和育苗区。这种高能量和复杂的河口生态系统的高生产力和时空异质性，使其成为一个理想的网站，研究栖息地的相互连接的营养关系和生物过程的影响。即使认识到种群和群落动态受营养相互作用以及决定环境空间复杂性和相互联系的被动和主动运输过程的调节（例如，资源的分散，生物的迁移），这些过程在河口的整体生态系统的意义还没有得到很好的理解。我的研究计划的目的是了解次级（浮游动物）生产力的控制机制，考虑种内遗传多样性，营养动力学和河口海景离散栖息地之间的连接程度。我的目标是大大提高我们对浮游动物次级生产力模式的科学理解，因为这方面的知识对于以生态系统为基础的管理方法养护和可持续利用海洋资源和生态系统健康至关重要。与此同时，这方面的知识是必不可少的，以补充我们的营养周转从初级生产到三级营养级的理解，因为浮游动物往往代表了营养的基础上，高营养级（如鱼类）。我们将集中在最重要的河口物种，如桡足类，糠虾和鱼苗。我们将确定在Eurytemora affinis二次生产的时间和空间变异性之间的联系，遗传多样性和整个河口过渡区的营养相互作用。我们将估计E. affinis进化枝和移动的消费者（糠虾、鱼苗）。E. affinis分支生产力和营养联系的强度可能有助于预测在这个重要的苗圃区的仔鱼补充。这将是重要的管理重新引入条纹低音。

Estuarine transition zones, were freshwater mixes with saltwater, are critical ecotones for entire river systems worldwide. These ecosystems have a high ecological value in terms of biological productivity which is strongly driven by physical properties such as estuarine re-circulation, tidal mixing and freshwater discharge. The St. Lawrence estuarine transition zone represents important retention and nursery zones for crustaceans and commercially important fishes. The high productivity and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of this highly energetic and complex estuarine ecosystem makes it an ideal site to study the influence of habitat interconnectivity on trophic relationships and biological processes. Even if it is recognized that population and community dynamics are regulated by trophic interactions and passive and active transport processes that determine environmental spatial complexity and interconnectivity (e.g., dispersion of resources, migration of organisms), the overall ecosystem significance of these processes in estuaries is not well understood. The objective of my research program is to understand the control mechanisms of secondary (zooplankton) productivity by considering intraspecific genetic diversity, trophodynamics and the degree of connectivity among discrete habitats of the estuarine seascape. I aim to significantly advancing our scientific comprehension of zooplankton secondary productivity patterns, as this knowledge is of crucial relevance to the conservation and sustainable utilization of marine resources and ecosystem health in an ecosystem-based management approach. At the same time, this knowledge is essential to complement our understanding of the trophic turnover from primary production to tertiary trophic levels, as zooplankton often represents the nutritional basis for upper trophic levels (e.g. fish). We will focuss on the most important estuarine species, such as copepods, mysids and fish larvae. We will determine links between the temporal and spatial variability in Eurytemora affinis secondary production, and genetic diversity and trophic interactions throughout the estuarine transition zone. We will estimate the degree of trophic interactions between E. affinis clades and mobile consumers (mysids, fish larvae). Results on E. affinis clade productivity and the strength of trophic linkages may help predicting larval fish recruitment in this important nursery zone. This will be of importance for the management of the re-introduced striped bass.