The Paleoenvironmental History of Deep-Water Scleractinian Corals

许多工人建议，几个深水（200米） 石珊瑚起源于相对较浅的水域 深度和更深的水环境。 一个类似的陆上-海上 其他底栖生物的模式已得到证实 macroinvertebrates无脊椎动物as well. 这项研究的目的是 严格记录深水的古环境历史 通过野外工作研究了偶氮黄藻石珊瑚， 通过对博物馆藏品的检查， 关于观察到的模式的性质的假设。 与规划 PI将参观史密森学会， 大英博物馆（自然历史）和国家博物馆 自然史（巴黎）和古生物学研究所 为了检查珊瑚收藏和工作与珊瑚 这些机构的专家。

Many workers have suggested that several deep-water (200 m) scleractinian corals originated at relatively shallow water depths and deeper water environments. A similar onshore-offshore pattern has been demonstrated for other benthic macroinvertebrates as well. The goal of this research is to rigorously document the paleoenvironmental history of deep-water azooxanthellate scleractinian corals through field work and through examination of museum collections in order to test hypotheses about the nature of observed patterns. With planning grant monies PI will visit the Smithsonian Institution, the British Museum (Natural History) and the Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) and the Institut de Paleontologie in order to examine the coral collections and work with coral specialists at these institutions.