A Modern Iinventory of the Ppolyclad Ffauna of the Caribbean

【摘要】marian litvaitis这个项目的重点是记录一群海洋的、自由生活的扁虫在更广阔的加勒比地区的多样性。个别扁虫标本将从几个地点手工采集，相关的现场数据和图像将与每个标本相关联。学生们与莱斯利·纽曼一起工作，并陪同她进行采样旅行，将测量扁虫的分布模式，接受水下摄影训练，并收集用于显微镜和分子研究的标本。她还将培训学生的策展技巧。在新罕布什尔大学Marianne Litvaitis的实验室工作，学生们将专注于组织学、系统学、DNA技术、图形学和数据库构建。通常，积极的物种鉴定需要对动物进行切片。DNA序列将被用作每个物种的分子条形码，并解决群体内关系的问题。每个物种的详细分类信息、组织凭证、DNA序列和活体动物和组织切片的图像将被收集到一个基于网络的、可搜索的数据库中。拟议研究的其他产品包括将以英文和西班牙文提供的一份鉴定指南的只读存储器和硬拷贝版本，以及专门为K-12学生设计的一个单独的海洋扁虫网页。该项目更广泛的意义包括从本科到研究生水平的广泛培训部分。招收了两名少数民族研究生。额外的推广和教育组成部分包括客座讲座，动手示范和海洋实地考察，以激发K-12学生对海洋无脊椎动物的兴趣。虽然这些扁虫中有许多是珊瑚礁的重要成员，但人们对它们的生物多样性知之甚少。考虑到这些蠕虫中的一些已经被证明捕食商业上重要的双壳类物种，从而影响水产养殖业，这是令人惊讶的。这一组中的其他物种已被证明对鱼类有毒。最后，初步研究表明，其中一些扁虫含有生物药物，可能被用作积累抗癌药物的载体。因此，深入了解它们的生物多样性将为生物学的许多其他领域提供基础。

AbstractDEB 0412932Marian LitvaitisThe focus of this project is to document the diversity of a group of marine, free-living flatworms throughout the wider Caribbean. Individual flatworm specimens will be hand-collected from several sites, and associated field data and images will be linked to each specimen. Students working with Leslie Newman and accompanying her on sampling trips, will gauge patterns of distribution of flatworms, receive training in underwater photography, and gather specimens for microscopical and molecular studies. She will also train students in curatorial techniques. Working in the laboratory of Marianne Litvaitis at the University of New Hampshire, the students will concentrate on histology, systematics, DNA techniques, graphics, and database construction. Commonly, positive species identification requires sectioning the animals. DNA sequences will be used as molecular barcodes for each species and to address questions of within-group relationships. Detailed taxonomic information, tissue vouchers, DNA sequences, and images of whole, live animals and of histological sections will be collected for each species and included in a web-based, searchable database. Additional products of the proposed study include CD-ROM and hard copy versions of an identification guide that will be available in English and Spanish, and a separate marine flatworms web page specifically designed for K-12 students.The broader significance of the project includes an extensive training component ranging from the undergraduate to the graduate level. Two minority graduate students have been recruited. Additional outreach and educational components include guest lectures, hands-on demonstrations, and marine field trips to stimulate interest in K-12 students for marine invertebrates in general. Although many of these flatworms are prominent members of coral reefs, little is known about their biodiversity. This is surprising considering that some of these worms have been shown to prey on commercially important bivalve species and thus, impact the aquaculture industry. Other species in this group have proven to be toxic to fish. Finally, preliminary studies have shown that some of these flatworms contain biopharmaceuticals and may be used as a vehicle to accumulate anticancer agents. Therefore, a thorough understanding of their biodiversity will provide a basis for many other fields of biology.