MRI: Development of Instrumentation to Control Seawater Composition for Ocean Acidification Research

PI要求核磁共振资金来开发一种能够对海水中的温度、二氧化碳水平和氧气水平进行高度控制的仪器，这些海水被用来培养用于海洋酸化实验的生物。此外，提出的系统将能够动态地改变这些参数，使研究人员不仅可以研究扰动的稳态条件，而且可以控制这些参数的可变性，以便能够更接近地模拟自然条件。正如提案中记录的那样，有许多顶尖的科学家已经签约在他们的工作中使用这个系统。这些人现在可以专注于他们的生物实验，确保实验系统的海洋化学得到适当的控制和描述。在许多领域(浮游植物、底栖生物、中上层生物等)取得了许多非常重要的成果。很可能会从这个系统中走出来。该提案还通过顶石工程设计课程和暑期实习，让本科生参与水族馆系统的设计过程，并可能让研究生参与整个水族馆系统的开发过程。本科生将参与各种部件的设计和测试，特别是气体混合系统和/或使用膜接触器的气体平衡系统。这将通过将一些部件的设计整合到为期2个季度的本科机械工程顶石设计课程中，并通过海洋物理实验室实习生计划邀请暑期实习生来完成，而不会对提案产生任何影响。在同行评议的期刊上发表拟议仪器的设计和规格是该提案的一个重要组成部分。

The PI requests MRI funding to develop an instrument that is capable of providing a high degree of control over the temperature, the CO2 levels, and the oxygen levels in seawater that is being used to grow organisms for ocean acidification experiments. Furthermore, the proposed system will be able to vary these parameters dynamically, allowing investigators not only to study perturbed steady-state conditions, but also to control the variability of these parameters so as to be able to mimic natural conditions more closely.Broader ImpactsThe broader impacts of this work are very great. As documented in the proposal there are numerous top-quality scientists that already signed up to use this system in their work. These folks can now focus on their biological experimentation with the assurance that the marine chemistry of the experimental system is properly controlled and described. A lot of very important results in many fields (phytoplankton, benthic inverts, pelagics, etc.) are likely to come out of this system. The proposal also entrains undergraduates in the design process of the aquarium system via a capstone engineering design course and through summer internships, and will likely involve a graduate student throughout its development. Undergraduate students will be involved in the design and testing of various components, particularly the gas mixing systems and/or the gas equilibration system using membrane contactors. This will be done at no cost to the proposal by integrating the design of some of the components into a 2-quarter undergraduate Mechanical Engineering capstone design course and by involving summer interns through the Marine Physical Laboratory Intern Program. Publication of the design and specifications of the proposed instrumentation in a peer-reviewed journal is a very strong component of the proposal.