SGER: Environmental Genomics of Salpa Thompsoni in the Southern Ocean

拟议的研究将为南极胶状水华形成的Salpa thompsoni开发新的分子和基因组工具和方法，以了解Salp复杂的生活史、种群快速增长和水华形成的潜力以及南大洋环境条件之间的相互作用。在高度脆弱的南大洋远洋生态系统中，桑普索鱼是一个日益重要的角色。尽管被认为是南极远洋生态系统中日益重要的一个关键组成部分，但尚未发表关于它们的种群遗传学或基因组学的研究。这里提出的这项研究--包括分析与生活史事件和特定环境条件相关的索氏银鱼全基因组基因表达模式--将是首次在盐碱地物种上进行这类研究。这里提出的分子遗传技术和方法在生物医学实验室中得到了广泛的应用，并越来越多地应用于各种模式物种，但尚未应用于具有生态重要性但系统发育不太清楚的物种，如盐碱地。由于日益迫切需要了解所观察到的南大洋远洋生态系统变化的根本原因，包括关键物种--南大洋磷虾(Euphausia Superba)和形成胶状水华的南极水华(Salpa Thompsoni)--之间的平衡变化，需要提供一小笔探索性研究补助金。鉴于缺乏目标物种或任何近亲的分子遗传和基因组信息，拟议的研究可能被认为通过常规的NSF计划和小组提供资金的风险太高。

The proposed research will develop new molecular and genomic tools and approaches for the gelatinous bloom-forming Antarctic salp, Salpa thompsoni, in order to understand the interplay between the salp's complex life history, potential for rapid population growth and bloom formation, and the environmental conditions of the Southern Ocean. Salpa thompsoni is an increasingly important player in the highly-vulnerable Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystem. Despite being recognized as a key component of growing importance in Antarctic pelagic ecosystems, no study has been published on their population genetics or genomics. The research proposed here - including analysis of genome-wide patterns of gene expression of Salpa thompsoni associated with life history events and specific environmental conditions - will be the first of its kind on a salp species. The molecular genetic techniques and approaches proposed here are widely used in bio-medical laboratories and are increasingly applied to diverse model species, but have yet to be applied to ecologically-important but phylogenetically-obscure species, such as salps. A Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) is requested because of the increasing urgency of understanding the underlying causes of observed changes in the Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystem, including the shifting balance between the keystone species, Southern Ocean krill (Euphausia superba) and the gelatinous bloom-forming Antarctic salp (Salpa thompsoni). Given the lack of molecular genetic and genomic information for the target species or any close relative, the proposed research may be perceived as too high risk for funding via usual NSF programs and panels.