Adaptation of Arctic marine mammals to climate warming

北极海洋哺乳动物对气候变暖的适应

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-05934
• 负责人: Ferguson, Steven
• 金额: $ 1.69万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=631819
• 关键词: Adaptation; Arctic; marine; mammals; climate

The increasing effects of global warming are greatest in polar environments. How will Arctic marine ecosystems respond to the increasing physical affects of global warming and will change occur gradually or will it come quickly? Using environmental changes associated with rising temperatures as the explanatory variable and changes in distribution and abundance of marine mammals as the dependent variable, I propose to study their interaction. I will measure energy and fitness connections to population changes by looking at how energy moves through the food web and at which trophic level is energy concentrated. To understand fitness, I will use genetics and reproductive success. The idea is to apply this knowledge to understand energy and fitness changes associated with global warming and Arctic marine mammals. I plan to build models to predict how marine mammal populations will change in numbers and where they will live. Models will integrate knowledge and help us understand whether Arctic marine ecosystems will resist change, change quickly, or change in a constant manner with global warming. To better understand these questions I will use satellite telemetry, biological collections from Inuit harvests, and diet studies. Combining this information into mathematical models provides testable predictions on how climate change will unfold in the arctic. Understanding how polar marine ecosystems change will help us to develop adaptive conservation and management programs for whales, seals, and the Inuit that rely on marine mammals for food and cultural sustenance.

全球变暖对极地环境的影响最大。北极海洋生态系统将如何应对全球变暖带来的日益严重的物理影响？变化是逐渐发生还是迅速发生？以气温上升相关的环境变化为解释变量，以海洋哺乳动物的分布和丰度变化为因变量，研究它们之间的相互作用。我将通过观察能量如何在食物网中移动以及能量集中在哪个营养水平来衡量能量和健康与人口变化的关系。为了理解健康，我将使用遗传学和繁殖成功。这个想法是应用这些知识来了解与全球变暖和北极海洋哺乳动物相关的能量和健康变化。我计划建立模型来预测海洋哺乳动物的数量将如何变化，以及它们将生活在哪里。模型将整合知识，帮助我们了解北极海洋生态系统是抵抗变化、快速变化还是随着全球变暖而持续变化。为了更好地理解这些问题，我将使用卫星遥测技术、因纽特人收获的生物标本和饮食研究。将这些信息结合到数学模型中，就可以提供关于气候变化将如何在北极展开的可检验的预测。了解极地海洋生态系统的变化将有助于我们为鲸鱼、海豹和以海洋哺乳动物为食物和文化支撑的因纽特人制定适应性保护和管理计划。