沙筛贝是我国南方重要的外来海洋生物入侵种，同时也是一种海洋污损生物，在海区中形成高密度同种群聚，不仅排挤本地底栖生物，还对海洋设施造成严重污损危害。本项目针对海区中沙筛贝高密度同种群聚这一生态现象，以沙筛贝幼虫附着为切入点，在成功摸索出沙筛贝催产和幼虫的室内培育技术的预研基础上，从物理因子、同种个体化学诱导物质、细菌粘膜三方面对沙筛贝的同种群聚机制开展深入研究。其中研究重点是通过海洋底栖动物幼虫生物学及天然产物化学的学科交叉，结合室内检测与野外验证，研究沙筛贝同种个体中的群聚化学诱因。期望在海洋底栖动物同种群聚研究方面有新的突破。研究结果对于深入认识海洋底栖生物群落中的化学生态学关系具有重要的理论意义，也可加深对沙筛贝入侵生态学的了解，并为沙筛贝的入侵风险评估、生态防治以及海洋污损生物的防除提供科学依据和指导。

The fouling dreissinid bivalve Mytilopsis sallei is an important alien marine species in the south of China. In the marine environment, M. sallei typically occurs in high-density aggregations, competing with native benthic species and posing serious fouling threats to marine structures. The aim of our project is to elucidate the aggregation mechanism of M. sallei. In the preliminary research, we have successfully obtained the eggs and larvae of M. sallei in the laboratory, which made the continuous supply of M. sallei larvae for research available. In this project, we plan to investigate the effects of environment cues, conspecific chemical cue(s) and bacterial film on larval settlement of M. sallei, to understand its aggregation mechanism. We will put emphasis on the study of inductive compound(s) from M. sallei for its aggregation, through the collaborations between marine larval biologists and natural products chemists, and the combinations of laboratory experiments and field tests. Breakthrough in the researches of aggregations of marine benthic organisms is expected. The results of this project will be important for understanding chemical ecology in marine benthic ecosystems and invasion ecology of M. sallei. Furthermore, the instructions will be obtained for risk evaluation on the invasion of M. sallei, its ecological control and marine antifouling technology.