Long and Medium-Term Research: Population Ecology of Marine Specialist Herbivores on New Zealand Rocky Shores

中长期研究：新西兰岩岸海洋专业食草动物种群生态学该奖项隶属于外国卓越中心长期和中期研究项目，它使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外公认的卓越研究中心进行三到十二个月的研究。该计划的奖励为联合研究提供了机会，并利用独特或互补的设施、专业知识和国外的实验条件。该奖项将支持Cynthia D. Trowbridge博士对奥克兰大学利海洋实验室Robert Creese博士进行为期12个月的博士后研究访问。Trowbridge博士建议研究寡食性尾舌海蛞蝓（软体动物目：腹足目：蛇鳃目）的种群生态学。她已经记录了东北太平洋几种潮间带水藻的种群生态。她现在建议收集新西兰北岛豪拉基湾地区三个生态相似物种的补充信息，以解决以下三个问题。首先，凝血剂会季节性地减少藻类宿主的丰度吗？第二，通才和专才食草动物之间的种间竞争是否会降低ascoglossan食草性的影响？第三，鱼类和螃蟹捕食者是否显著降低了野外的ascoglossan密度？这项研究将为海洋专家在温带岩石海岸的作用提供有价值的信息。奖励建议提供国际旅费、12个月的津贴和受抚养人津贴。

Long & Medium-Term Research: Population Ecology of Marine Specialist Herbivores on New Zealand Rocky Shores This award is under the Long and Medium-Term Research at Foreign Centers of Excellence Program, which enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twelve months of research abroad at research centers of proven excellence. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a twelve-month postdoctoral research visit by Dr. Cynthia D. Trowbridge to visit Dr. Robert Creese at the University of Auckland, Leigh Marine Laboratory. Dr. Trowbridge proposed to study the population ecology of oligophagous ascoglossan sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia). She has already documented the population ecology of several species of intertidal ascoglossans in the N.E. Pacific. She now proposes to collect complementary information for three ecologically similar species in the Hauraki Gulf region of the North Island of New Zealand to address the following three questions. First, do ascoglossans seasonally reduce algal host abundances? Second, does interspecific competition among generalist and specialist herbivores reduce the effect of ascoglossan herbivory? Third, do fish and crab predators significantly reduce ascoglossan densities in the field? This study will provide valuable information about the role of marine specialists on temperate rocky shores. The award recommendation provides funds to cover international travel, a stipend for twelve months, and a dependent allowance.