Collaborative Research: Biodiversity Survey of Freshwater Algae of the Hawaiian Islands

在艾莉森·舍伍德博士的指导下，夏威夷大学被授予对夏威夷群岛淡水藻类进行生物清查的奖项。科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的帕特里克·科乔莱克博士和约翰·卡罗尔大学的杰弗里·约翰森博士是这项研究的合作者。该项目将在世界任何地方生产出热带地区第一个全面的、图文并茂的淡水藻类植物群。将对主要夏威夷群岛的主要淡水栖息地进行调查，并将利用形态和分子分析确定收藏品。其目标是1)建立夏威夷淡水藻类形态和遗传研究的长期档案，2)通过项目数据库和网站提供所有数据，3)描述夏威夷群岛新发现的淡水藻分类群。该项目将传统分类学与生物信息学分析和数据展示相结合。这项调查汇集了一个顶级的藻类分类学家团队，他们都有过夏威夷藻类植物群的经验，以收集、记录和描述夏威夷群岛的淡水藻类。工作将通过夏威夷大学进行协调，并将把来自四个不同机构的研究人员聚集在一起，并加强与多个机构的伙伴关系。五名研究生、五名本科生和一名博士后将接受藻类调查和养殖技术、淡水藻类形态鉴定和分子方法方面的培训。太平洋岛民本科生将通过夏威夷大学S环境生物学本科生导师项目，每年三个暑假通过研究实习进行接待。夏威夷大学将为夏威夷原住民学生举办为期一年的本科生研究实习。每年夏天，夏威夷自然中心将推出针对中学生的家庭溪流探险项目。对芋头田的调查将促进研究人员与夏威夷原住民社区农民之间的交流。此外，将通过以下方式向科学界及其他方面提供拟议调查的结果：1)在线夏威夷淡水藻类数据库；2)提供物种概要数据的网站。

An award has been made to the University of Hawaii under the direction of Dr. Alison Sherwood to conduct a biological inventory of the freshwater algae of the Hawaiian Islands. Dr. Patrick Kociolek of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Dr. Jeffrey Johansen of John Carroll University are collaborators on the research. This project will produce the first comprehensive, well-illustrated freshwater algal flora of a tropical region for anywhere in the world. The principal freshwater habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands will be surveyed and collections will be identified using morphological and molecular analyses. The objectives are to 1) establish long-term archived collections of Hawaiian freshwater algae morphological and genetic studies, 2) make all data available through a project database and website, and 3) describe newly discovered freshwater algal taxa from the Hawaiian Islands. This project blends traditional taxonomy with bioinformatic analysis and data display. The survey brings together a top-tier team of algal taxonomists, all of whom have previous experience with the Hawaiian algal flora, to collect, document and describe the freshwater algae of the Hawaiian Islands. Work will be coordinated through the University of Hawaii and will bring together researchers from four different institutions and enhance partnerships with multiple agencies. Five graduate students, five undergraduate students and a postdoctoral fellow will be trained in algal surveying and culturing techniques, morphological identification of freshwater algae and molecular methods. Pacific Islander undergraduate students will be hosted through research internships each of three summers through the University of Hawaii?s Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology program. A year-round undergraduate research internship for a Native Hawaiian student will be hosted at the University of Hawaii. A family program of stream exploration through the Hawaii Nature Center will be offered each summer, aimed at middle school students. Surveys in taro fields will foster communication between the researchers and farmers from the Native Hawaiian community. In addition, the results of the proposed surveys will be made available to the scientific community and beyond through the establishment of: 1) the online Hawaiian Freshwater Algal Database, and 2) a website providing summary data for species.