CRUI: Response of Tropical Marine Symbioses to Environmental Stresses: An Integrated Approach

9711075穆勒-帕克珊瑚礁是高度多样化、多产和经济重要的群落，依赖于藻类(虫黄藻)和珊瑚之间的共生关系。这项合作的跨学科研究将光学、颜料化学和生物学结合在一起，将确定热带海葵和珊瑚在暴露于与全球气候变化有关的应激因素时破坏共生期间发生的事件顺序。利用紫外光和高温下的海葵和珊瑚，研究珊瑚漂白的三个方面：1)漂白过程中共生缔合光谱的变化，2)虫黄藻光合色素的变化，3)动物-藻类生物量参数和虫黄藻的光合作用性能的变化。该项目团队包括科学和科学教育专业的本科生，他们将开发研究项目和课程材料，用于实地教学和入门课程。督导人员亦会发展一门名为“海洋生物与光”的新跨学科课程，内容涉及物理、生物、化学及环境科学，并会包括所有这些学科的学生。珊瑚礁是海洋的“热带雨林”。这些高度多样化、生产力和经济重要性的群落依赖于藻类和珊瑚之间的共生关系。广泛的珊瑚“漂白”(藻类共生体的丧失)被归因于与全球气候变化有关的环境压力。该项目将利用一个将光学、色素化学和生物学联系起来的协作和跨学科的团队方法，研究光合作用的藻类和它们的动物宿主之间的密切细胞内关系如何受到环境压力的影响。该项目还提供了一个整合科学和科学教育方案的模式，让这两个学科的本科生参与基础研究和开发教材，使学童和公众受益。督导人员亦会发展一门名为“海洋生物与光”的新跨学科课程，内容涉及物理、生物、化学及环境科学，并会包括所有这些学科的学生。

9711075 Muller-Parker Coral reefs are highly diverse, productive, and economically important communities that depend on the symbiotic association between algae (zooxanthellae) and corals. This collaborative cross-disciplinary study linking optics, chemistry of pigments, and biology will determine the sequence of events during disruption of the symbiosis in tropical anemones and corals during exposure to stressors linked to global climate change. Three aspects of coral bleaching will be studied, using anemones and corals subjected to ultraviolet light and high temperature: 1) changes in the optical spectra of symbiotic associations during bleaching, 2) changes in photosynthetic pigments of zooxanthellae, and 3) changes in animal-algal biomass parameters and photosynthetic performance of zooxanthellae. The project team includes both science and science education undergraduate majors who will develop research projects and curricular materials for use in field teaching and introductory courses. The PIs will also develop a new interdisciplinary course entitled "Marine Life and Light" which will involve aspects of physics, biology, chemistry and environmental science and will include students from all of these disciplines. Coral reefs are the "rain forests" of the ocean. These highly diverse, productive, and economically important communities depend on the symbiotic relationship between algae and corals. Widespread coral "bleaching" (the loss of the algal symbionts) is attributed to environmental stresses linked to global climate change. This project will study how the intimate intracellular relationship between photosynthetic algae and their animal host is affected by environmental stress, using a collaborative and cross- disciplinary team approach linking optics, chemistry of pigments, and biology. This project also provides a model for integrating science and science education programs by involving undergraduates from both disciplines in the basic researc h and in the development of educational materials which will benefit school children and the general public. The PIs will also develop a new interdisciplinary course entitled "Marine Life and Light" which will involve aspects of physics, biology, chemistry and environmental science and will include students from all of these disciplines.