Dissertation Research: Dynamics of Fertilization: Ecological Consequences of Flow on Sperm-egg Interactions

论文研究：受精的动力学：精子-卵子相互作用的生态学后果。Richard K.齐默·杰弗里·A.对于传播产卵的海洋动物来说，配子被释放到海洋环境的动荡性质会极大地影响受精的成功。水的运动可以运输和混合配子在一起，促进精子和卵子之间的混合，或者它可以通过导致快速稀释和防止精卵相遇而产生有害影响。虽然流量长期以来一直被认为是一个关键因素影响受精，在配子的规模，很少有人知道精子的行为和流体运动介导配子相遇的影响。为了了解配子行为和流体运动对受精的重要性，在模拟自然环境条件下进行受控的实验室研究是必要的和至关重要的。本研究以红鲍（Haliotis rufescens）为模式生物，探讨配子行为、浓度和流体运动对精卵相互作用的影响。这将通过该项目的三个阶段来完成：（i）进行潮下带调查，以普查成鲍的数量，并进行水流测量，以确定典型鲍鱼栖息地水动力环境的特征（潮下带海带床），使我们能够扩大我们的实验室流动槽实验，（ii）实验室流动槽实验将检查湍流（剪切）和配子浓度对受精的影响，和（iii）在模拟的自然流动条件下检查精子化学感觉介导的行为。受精被认为是调节许多动物种群动态的重要因素，特别是在将精子和卵子传播到海洋中的海洋生物中。沿着美国西海岸，鲍鱼是具有商业价值但生态上濒临灭绝的资源。通过提供新的信息的物理和行为机制介导受精成功，这项研究应该有显着的影响，管理和恢复受威胁的鲍鱼种群。

Dissertation Research: Dynamics of Fertilizations: Ecoological Consequences of Flow on Sperm-egg InteractionsDr. Richard K. Zimmer & Jeffrey A. RiffellFor marine animals that broadcast spawn, the turbulent nature of the ocean environment into which the gametes are released can drastically influence successful fertilization. Water motion can transport and mix the gametes together, facilitating commingling between sperm and eggs, or it can have a detrimental effect by causing rapid dilution and prevention of sperm-egg encounters. Although flow has long been recognized as a critical factor influencing fertilization, at the scale of the gametes, little is known about the influence of sperm behavior and fluid motion on mediating gamete encounters. To understand the importance of gamete behavior and fluid motion on fertilization, controlled laboratory studies under simulated natural environmental conditions are necessary and vital. Using the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) as the model organism for exploring fertilization dynamics, this study will establish the influence of gamete behavior, concentration, and fluid motion on sperm-egg interactions. This will be accomplished through three phases of this project: (i) Subtidal surveys will census adult abalone populations and flow measurements will be taken to characterize aspects of the hydrodynamic environment within typical abalone habitat (subtidal kelp beds), allowing us to scale our laboratory flow-tank experiments, (ii) laboratory flow tank experiments will examine the influence of turbulence (shear) and gamete concentration on fertilization, and (iii) sperm chemosensory-mediated behavior will be examined under simulated natural flow conditions. Fertilization has been implicated as an important factor regulating population dynamics in many animals, particularly in marine organisms that broadcast their sperm and eggs into the sea. Along the western coast of the United States, abalones are commercially valuable but ecologically endangered resource. By providing new information on physical and behavioral mechanisms mediating fertilization success, this study should have significant implications for managing and restoring threatened abalone populations.