The Chemical Ecology of Shallow-Water Antarctic Marine Invertebrates in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

本研究项目是一项跨学科研究，旨在确定和量化影响南极底栖海洋无脊椎动物之间生态关系的生物化学物质。这项研究是一个项目的延续，该项目成功地记录了极地群落中化学影响对生态关系的适度影响，这与当代认为纬度与化学防御发生率呈反比关系的理论相反。该项目通过解决防御剂的化学性质，扩展了早期研究的范围。目的是从以前鉴定的具有化学防御机制的无脊椎动物中分离和表征生物活性化学物质。目的是评估这些化学物质作为饲养威慑物、防污剂或过度生长抑制剂的作用，确定这些化学代谢物的生物学来源，并检查防御剂在特定组织或粘液中的储存。具有生态意义的生物测定将指导鉴定的防御代谢物的分析分离和表征。本研究将增强我们对南极海洋底栖生物这一不断变化的生态模式中防御代谢物的认识和意义。

This research project is an interdisciplinary study to identify and to quantify biological chemicals that affect ecological relationships among benthic antarctic marine invertebrates. This research is a continuation of a program that succeeded in documenting a moderate incidence of chemical influence on ecological relationships in polar communities, contrary to contemporary theory that suggests an inverse relationship between latitude and incidence of chemical defense. This project extends the scope of that earlier study by addressing the chemical nature of defensive agents. The objectives are to isolate and to characterize biologically active chemicals from previously identified invertebrates with chemical defense mechanisms. The goals are to evaluate the role of these chemicals as feeding deterrents, anti-fouling agents or overgrowth inhibitory chemicals, to determine the biological origin of these chemical metabolites, and to examine the storage of defensive agents in specific tissues or mucus. Ecologically significant bioassays will guide the analytical isolation and characterization of identified defense metabolites. The proposed research will enhance our understanding and significance of defense metabolites in the ecology of antarctic marine benthos, a changing paradigm.