Immunochemical Investigation of Predation on Marine Microzooplankton

定量了解微生物环生物与悬浮摄食大型浮游动物之间的联系是当今浮游动物生态学的核心问题之一。本研究项目将利用新开发的纤毛原生动物免疫化学探针，在实验室和实地研究中探讨这一联系。该方法克服了传统方法的困难。它允许对小型浮游动物的捕食进行研究，而不需要收集、浓缩、孵化或保存人工制品。以下假设将被检验：1。H0：从近海上升流区到近海稳定分层区，在与悬浮物摄食的桡足类的联系中存在一个跨岸梯度。2. H0：与悬浮物摄食的桡足类相关的纤毛虫发生时间变化，在上升流事件放松期间，其意义增加。3. H0：在悬浮式摄食桡足类共生种中，纤毛虫的重要性存在种间差异。该研究将对比加利福尼亚洋流系统中3种主要的悬浮捕食桡足类：一种是上层物种（Calanus pacificus californicus），一种是中层物种（Eucalanus californicus），一种是强大的垂直迁徙物种（Metridia pacifica）。实验室实验将开发额外的抗血清，并表征不同纤毛虫类群的捕食率。实地研究将与CalCOFI项目一起进行。这些巡航将利用免疫化学点印迹、肠道荧光和Iatroscan脂质分析，研究与悬浮进食桡足类有关的纤毛虫的跨海岸和时间变化。额外的巡航将解决纵向和纵向的变化，以检查这种联系的重要性的任何种间差异，共存的悬浮性浮游动物物种。

Quantitative understanding of the link between microbial loop organisms and suspension-feeding macrozooplankton is one of the central issues in zooplankton ecology today. This research project will utilize a newly developed immunochemical probe to ciliate protozoa to investigate this link in laboratory and field studies. The probe overcomes the difficulties with conventional methodologies. It permits predation on microzooplankton to be studied without artifacts of collection, concentration, incubation, or preservation. The following hypotheses will be tested: 1. H0: A cross-shore gradient exists in the ciliate link to suspension-feeding copepods, from an inshore upwelling domain to an offshore, stably stratified domain. 2. H0: Temporal variations occur in the ciliate link to suspension-feeding copepods, with increased significance during relaxation of upwelling events. 3. H0: Interspecific differences exist in the importance of ciliates to co-occurring species of suspension-feeding copepods. The study will contrast 3 major suspension-feeding copepods in the California Current System: an epipelagic species (Calanus pacificus californicus), a mesopelagic species (Eucalanus californicus), and a strong vertical migrant (Metridia pacifica). Laboratory experiments will develop additional antisera and characterize predation rates on different ciliate taxa. Field research will be conducted in conjunction with the CalCOFI program. These cruises will address cross-shore and temporal variations in the ciliate link to suspension-feeding copepods, utilizing immunochemical dot blots, gut fluorescenec, and Iatroscan lipid analyses. Additional cruises will address diel and vertical variations, to examine any interspcific differences in the significance of this linkage to coexisting species of suspension-feeding zooplankton.