U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: "Biomechanical and Physiological Changes Associated with the Evolution of Non- feeding Development in Echinoids

该奖项支持俄勒冈大学的Richard Emlet博士对悉尼大学Ove Hoegh-Guldberg博士的实验室进行为期两年的访问。该研究将检查与澳大利亚棘刺属Heliocidaris和其他海胆属发育修饰相关的流体力学和生理变化。本研究将比较生活在同一纬度和环境的同源结核分枝杆菌和红芽胞杆菌的幼虫，从而尽量减少相关物种之间由于与发育变化无关的原因而产生的可测量差异。这项研究将包括纤毛形态和运动学、游泳行为和代谢率的测量。结果有望显示形态的变化是否以及如何影响具有改良发育的物种的游泳性能。非摄食幼虫的形态将允许确定在一个幼虫metagoan运动的能量成本。这项研究结合了美国和澳大利亚科学家的优势，使他们能够研究发育的变化是如何在形态和生理表现中表现出来的。Emlet博士在针鼹幼虫发育的进化和微观生物的流体力学方面具有专长。他的澳大利亚同事带来了代谢生理学方面的专业知识，并开发了测量浮游生物生长过程中耗氧量的新技术。在进化为非摄食发育的14个海胆幼虫谱系中，有7个在澳大利亚海岸有代表性。

This award supports visits over two years by Dr. Richard Emlet of the University of Oregon to the laboratory of Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Sydney. The research will examine the fluid-mechanical and physiological changes that are associated with modification of development in the Australian echinoid genus Heliocidaris and other genera of sea urchins. The research will compare larvae of the congeners H. tuberculata and H. erythrogramma which live in the same latitude and environment thus minimizing measurable differences between related species for reasons unrelated to developmental changes. The research will involve measurements of ciliary morphology and kinematics, swimming behavior and metabolic rates. Results are expected to show whether and how changes in morphology influence swimming performance in the species with modified development. The morphology of the non-feeding larva will permit a determination of the energetic cost of locomotion in a larval metagoan. This research combines the strengths of the U.S.-Australian scientists to allow them to investigate how changes in development are manifested in morphological and physiological performance. Dr. Emlet has expertise in the evolution of echinoid larval development and fluid mechanics of microscopic organisms. HIs Australian colleague brings expertise in metabolic physiology and has developed new technology for measuring oxygen consumption in growing planktonic organisms. Seven of the fourteen lineages of sea urchin larvae that have evolved nonfeeding development are represented along the coasts of Australia.