The hydrodynamics of benthic predation

智力优势：这个项目将集中在如何化学信号调解模式的嗅觉捕食。我们将猎物的特点和环境影响的强度之间的相互作用的特定捕食者和猎物物种的人口。本项目主要有三个实验目标：（1）。将化学羽流的结构量化为三个变量的函数：猎物大小，猎物密度和湍流。 （二）、量化使用不同感觉机制的捕食者如何对猎物大小和密度以及湍流的变化做出反应。 （三）、调查如何环境湍流，猎物的大小，猎物聚集，以及这三个参数之间的相互作用增加敏感性捕食领域。 流体力学，行为和现场实验的协同作用的结果将产生猎物和环境特征和捕食模式和社区结构之间的定量联系。本研究所选用的模式系统是青蟹与腹足类捕食者及其底栖双壳类猎物之间的相互作用。快速（例如螃蟹）与缓慢（例如腹足类）移动的捕食者之间的行为差异表明，它们依赖于不同的信号特性，因此可能形成至少部分由嗅觉导航策略定义的公会。正如在最近举行的国家科学基金会海洋学未来挑战研讨会（OEUVRE）上所指出的那样，“在所有尺度上对海洋湍流混合的认识方面的根本性进展将有助于理解从水体守恒到捕食者-猎物相互作用等一系列问题”。这个项目将解决如何化学信号传输的流体物理学和感官接收的生物机制介导的捕食强度在自然种群。 更广泛的影响：这项研究的重点是重要的河口物种（蓝蟹，海螺，蛤蜊），其中每一个支持重要的渔业在格鲁吉亚和其他地方。将捕食强度定义为物理和生物学特性的函数，可能有助于螃蟹、海螺和文蛤种群的管理。 培训将提供两个研究生（博士）学生（一个在感官生物学和一个在流体力学），和一个博士后。 这些人将经历丰富的跨学科研究环境，除了发展技能，成为各自领域的领导者。本科生还将参与数据收集和分析，特别是行为轨迹，PLIF和现场实验的分析。本科生将获得宝贵的研究经验，也将接触到跨学科的问题和观点。生物学院目前在水生化学信号方面有一个夏季REU，我们预计其他本科生将开发与该项目相关的项目，并将利用我们的综合方法和技术。这项研究还将与正在进行的研究生教育工作，特别是我们的NSF IGERT计划，以教育在水生化学信号领域。 研究生通常在他们的第一年在该计划的支持，并预计将参与研究项目。因此，除了本提案所支持的学生外，每年可能还会有两名研究生参与该项目。 将为IGERT课程开发基于拟议研究方法和结果的实验室练习。这些练习也将用于生态学和流体力学的基础本科实验室，可能是以简化的形式。这将使本科生接触到跨学科的工作，并促进打破学科之间的界限的早期赞赏。

Intellectual Merit: This project will focus on how chemical signals mediate patterns of olfactory predation. We will correlate prey characteristics and environmental effects to the strength of the interaction between populations of particular predator and prey species. This project has 3 major experimental goals: (1). Quantify the structure of chemical plumes as functions of three variables: prey size, prey density, and turbulence. (2). Quantify how predators using different sensory mechanisms respond to variations in prey size and density, and turbulence. (3). Investigate how ambient turbulence, prey size, prey aggregation, and the interaction among these three parameters increases susceptibility to predation in the field. The synergistic result of the fluid mechanics, behavior, and field experiments will produce quantifiable linkages between prey and environmental characteristics and patterns of predation and community structures. The model system chosen for this study is the interactions between blue crab and gastropod predators and their infaunal bivalve prey. The behavioral disparities between rapidly (e.g. crabs) vs. slowly (e.g. gastropod) moving predators suggest they rely on different signal properties, and therefore may form a guild defined at least partially by the olfactory navigational strategies. As observed in the recent NSF workshop on future challenges in oceanography (OEUVRE), "fundamental advances in knowledge of turbulent mixing of the ocean at all scales will result in understanding a host of problems from water mass conservation to predator-prey interactions". This project will address how the fluid physics of chemical signal transport and the biological mechanisms of sensory reception mediate predation intensity in natural populations. Broader Impacts: This study focuses on important estuarine species (blue crabs, whelks, hard clams), each of which supports important fisheries in Georgia and elsewhere. Defining predation intensity as functions of physical and biological characteristics may be helpful for management of crab, whelk and hard clam populations. Training will be provided for two graduate (Ph.D.) students (one in Sensory Biology and one in Fluid Mechanics), and one Post-doctoral associate. These individuals will experience a rich interdisciplinary research environment in addition to developing the skills to be leaders in their respective fields. Undergraduate students will also be involved in data collection and analysis, particularly analysis of the behavioral tracks, PLIF, and field experiments. The undergraduate will gain valuable research experience and also will be exposed to interdisciplinary issues and perspectives. The School of Biology currently has a summer REU in aquatic chemical signaling and we expect that other undergraduates will develop projects that are related to this project, and which will capitalize on our integrative approach and techniques. This study will also connect well with on-going graduate educational efforts, in particular our NSF IGERT program to educate in the area of aquatic chemical signaling. Graduate students are typically supported during their first year in the program and are expected to be involved in research projects. Thus, in addition to the students supported by this proposal, perhaps two additional graduate students can be expected to be involved in the project each year. Laboratory exercises based on the methods and results of the proposed study will be developed for the IGERT courses. These exercises also will be used, possibly in a reduced form, for basic undergraduate laboratories in Ecology and Fluid Mechanics. This will give undergraduates exposure to interdisciplinary work, and foster an early appreciation for breaking down boundaries between disciplines.