Systematics, Biodiversity and Biogeography of Marine Macroalgae Emphasizing the Canadian Flora

生物多样性对健康的生态系统至关重要，是一个国家财富的关键组成部分。 为了管理这一资源，必须从遗传到生态系统层面了解生物多样性。这项任务的一部分是编制生物清单，同时了解地理学和生态学。建立清单需要一个分类系统，以记录多样性，当基于关系时，还为那些寻求调查物种的经济有用化合物（相关物种有相关化合物）的人提供了指导。 我的主要重点是两个生态和经济上重要的大型藻类红色（初级）和棕色（二级）海藻。我们将使用强大的分子工具来建立我们的当代库存，并得出我们对关系的见解。这些工具比解剖表达更客观，可能会受到趋同进化或环境可塑性的影响。研究计划的具体目标包括： 1)使用分子工具建立加拿大红和棕色大型藻类的第一个全面清单; 2)使用分子系统发育工具阐明这些谱系内的进化关系，目的是在全球范围内广泛代表加拿大植物群; 3)利用这些全局系统发育假说建立自然分类并评估性状进化（例如营养和生殖解剖学、生活史和碳水化合物类型）;以及， 4)为地理学和种群遗传学分析提供分子数据，以探索加拿大三个海岸沿着最近（更新世）的物种形成和迁移。值得注意的是，初步数据表明：加利福尼亚植物群对北方不列颠哥伦比亚省有意想不到的贡献（海带输送假说）在物种水平上，尚未在种群水平上进行检验;北太平洋植物群对加拿大北极地区有重大贡献（和大西洋）植物群（跨北极生物交换假说）与大西洋再殖民范式的对比;并且对我们的北大西洋植物群有着重要的避难所贡献，在许多情况下，大西洋两岸的种群实际上代表了兄弟物种。 新的预期结果：这些结果将为系统学家和保护主义者提供宝贵的资源，因为我们致力于欣赏大型藻类的多样性和关系，监测引进的物种，探索由于气候变化导致的海藻植物群的变化，以及寻找新产品的行业。此外，我们将了解过去和当代的迁徙和引进，以深入了解加拿大三大洋海藻的未来多样性和分布。

Biological diversity is essential for healthy ecosystems and is a key component of a nation's wealth. To manage this resource it is imperative to understand biodiversity from the genetic to the ecosystem level. Part of this task is the preparation of biological inventories, coupled with an understanding of biogeography and ecology. Establishing inventories requires a system of classification with which to document diversity, which, when based on relationships, additionally provides a guide for those seeking to survey species for economically-useful compounds (related species have related compounds). My major focus is on two ecologically and economically-important groups of macroalgae red (primary) and brown (secondary) seaweed. We will use powerful molecular tools to establish our contemporary inventories and derive our insights on relationships. These tools are more objective than anatomical expressions that may be influenced by convergent evolution or the environment in the form of plasticity. Specific objectives of the research program include: 1) to use molecular tools to establish the first comprehensive list of Canadian red and brown macroalgae; 2) to use molecular phylogenetic tools to elucidate the evolutionary relationships within these lineages with the aim of including wide representation of the Canadian flora in a global context; 3) to utilize these global phylogenetic hypotheses to establish natural classifications and to assess character evolution (e.g. vegetative and reproductive anatomy, life history, and carbohydrate type); and, 4) to generate molecular data for biogeographic and population genetic analyses to explore recent (Pleistocene) speciation and migration along Canada's three coasts. Notably, preliminary data indicate: there has been an unexpected contribution of Californian flora to northern British Columbia (Kelp Conveyor Hypothesis) at the species level that has yet to be tested at the population level; there has been a significant contribution of the North Pacific flora to the Canadian Arctic (and Atlantic) flora(s) (Trans Arctic Biotic Exchange Hypothesis) in contrast to the Atlantic re-colonization paradigm; and there was a significant refugial contribution to our North Atlantic flora with the possibility that populations' on each side of the Atlantic in many cases actually represent sibling species. Novel expected findings: The results will provide an invaluable resource for systematists and conservationists as we work to appreciate macroalgal diversity and relationships, monitor introduced species, explore changes in seaweed floras owing to climate change, and for industry in the search for novel products. Further, we will establish an understanding of past and contemporary migrations and introductions to acquire insights into future diversity and distribution of seaweeds in Canada's three oceans.