REU: Feeding Selectivity and Strategies of Marine Bivalves

Levinton/Ward该提案继续了旨在研究双壳贝类在活体和碎屑颗粒的复杂混合物中选择性机制的工作，以便（1）开发一种使用视频内窥镜对套膜腔内的颗粒进行采样的定量方法，并通过流式细胞术分析这些样本;（2）在不同双壳贝类摄食类型之间进行比较研究;以及（3）识别双壳类的限制性加工步骤（例如，在须上分选颗粒，通过肠道处理颗粒），以便形成双壳类颗粒在套膜腔的各个隔室内转移和处理的模型。这些结果，反过来，可以用来构建一个综合模型的双壳类的喂养和颗粒处理，最终可以连接到沿海生态系统模型的悬浮物动力学。我们以前的研究结果表明，流式细胞术和视频内窥镜的组合是一个强大的工具，研究（a）粒子处理的速度和程度和（B）粒子选择性的机制。我们可以证明在牡蛎和贻贝强选择对颗粒的低营养价值和颗粒质量对加工速度的影响。这种新方法给了我们一个很好的分析，我们只触及了喂养功能生态学和对沿海系统的影响可能被检查的重要问题的表面。

Levinton/WardThis proposal continues work initiated to study the mechanisms of bivalve mollusc selectivity among complex mixtures of particles, living and detrital, in order to (1) develop a quantitative method using video endoscopy to sample particles within the pallial cavity and to analyze these samples by flow cytometry; (2) perform comparative studies among different bivalve feeding types; and (3) to identify limiting processing steps of bivalves (e.g., sorting of particles on the palp, processing particles through the gut) in order to form a model of bivalve particle transfer and processing within the various compartments of the pallial cavity. These results, in turn, can be used to construct an integrative model of bivalve feeding and particle processing, which can ultimately be connected to coastal ecosystem models of seston dynamics. Our previous results demonstrate that the combination of flow cytometry and video endoscopy is a powerful tool to study (a) rates of particle processing and the degree and (b) mechanisms of particle selectivity. We could demonstrate in oysters and mussels strong selection against particles of low nutritional value and effects of particle quality on processing rate. This new approach gives us an excellent assay, and we have only scratched the surface of the important problems in feeding functional ecology and effects on coastal systems that may be examined.