作为珊瑚敌害生物，小核果螺种群的爆发是导致太平洋-印度洋地区珊瑚礁生态系统衰退、珊瑚覆盖率下降的重要原因之一，同时还会影响到珊瑚的组成和适合度。小核果螺已严重威胁到太平洋-印度洋地区珊瑚礁生态系统的健康和安全。然而，国内关于小核果螺的研究仍处于起步阶段，相关的生态调查和研究亟待开展。因此，本研究结合生态学和分子生物学研究方法和技术，通过对我国不同纬度、不同类型珊瑚分布区域小核果螺种群的生态调查和系统地理学分析，厘清我国珊瑚分布区域小核果螺的分布特征，探究影响小核果螺种群丰度和种群结构的因素，揭示小核果螺现有地理分布格局形成的原因。研究结果可为我国小核果螺的有效管理和防控提供基础数据和理论依据，提升我国对小核果螺种群爆发灾害的预警能力，保障我国珊瑚礁生态系统的健康和安全。

Outbreaks of Drupella spp., as famous coral-eating pests, are a major contributor to sustained declines in coral cover and degradation of coral reefs at many locations throughout the Indo-West Pacific, and they also have crucial impacts on community composition and fitness of coral. Thus, Drupella spp. have seriously threatened to the health and safety of coral reef ecosystems in the Indo-West Pacific. However, domestic studies on Drupella spp. are still at the starting stage, and relevant ecological surveys and population structure analysis about their populations are the urgent need to conduct. In this proposed project, we will carry on the ecological surveys and phylogeographic analyses for the Drupella spp. populations around different latitude and type distribution areas of scleractinian corals, using the methods and technologies of Ecology and Molecular Biology. The purpose of these studies is to clarify the distribution patterns of Drupella spp. (coral-eating pests) around the distribution areas of scleractinian corals in China, and explore the factors that play the important impacts on the abundance and population structure of Drupella spp., and explain the reasons for the formation of geographical distribution patterns of Drupella spp.. The research findings will provide the basic data and theoretical foundation for the management and control strategies of Drupella spp.. These results also can contribute to enhance the ability to warn the Drupella spp. population outbreaks in China, and safeguard the health and safety of our coral reef ecosystems.