Collaborative Research - Ocean Acidification Category 1: Interactive Effects of Temperature, Nutrients, and Ocean Acidification on Coral Physiology and Calcification

预计在未来几十年，大气和海洋表面的二氧化碳浓度将继续大幅增加，导致海洋变暖，酸性更强，这将极大地影响珊瑚礁的健康。此外，大多数珊瑚生活的海洋边缘也将看到人类生产的营养投入的持续增加。虽然最近有相当多的人关注海洋酸化（仅由于较高的二氧化碳）如何由于预计的钙化损失而对造礁珊瑚的生长产生负面影响，但二氧化碳、温度和营养物质对珊瑚生理和钙化的综合影响知之甚少。本项目将在实验室环境下研究温度升高、二氧化碳和营养物质对几种珊瑚的生理和内部钙化化学可能产生的协同和拮抗作用。研究工具将包括评估珊瑚能量储备和代谢需求、共生藻类生理和分子多样性、珊瑚钙化，以及通过微探针直接测量珊瑚内部pH值和碳酸盐浓度。这个项目的结果有可能提供广泛的科学影响，关于造礁珊瑚如何（或是否）在未来的气候变化情景中生存，并将有助于建立几个参数范围，可用于加强海洋酸化和珊瑚礁生长模型。同样，对继续教育的更广泛影响将包括两名博士后学者、两名博士研究生和几名本科生的专业发展。该项目还将通过几项公共宣传努力来加强科学和技术的理解，包括参与俄亥俄州巴特尔探索中心的青年海洋探险家项目和研究教育，特拉华大学的年度海岸日公众开放日，以及在佐治亚州的国家海洋科学碗中提供咨询。

Atmospheric and sea surface CO2 concentrations are expected to continue to increase substantially over the coming decades resulting in warmer and more acidic oceans, which will greatly stress the health of coral reefs. In addition, ocean margins where most corals live will also see continued increases in human-produced nutrient inputs. While there has recently been a considerable focus on how ocean acidification (due to higher CO2 alone) could negatively impact the growth of reef-building corals due to the projected loss in calcification, the combined impacts of CO2, temperature, and nutrients on coral physiology and calcification are poorly understood. This project will investigate the possible synergistic and antagonistic effects of elevated temperature, CO2, and nutrients on the physiology and internal calcifying chemistry of several species of corals in a laboratory setting. Research tools will include the assessment of coral energy reserves and metabolic demand, symbiotic algal physiology and molecular diversity, coral calcification, and direct measurement of the internal coral pH and carbonate concentration via microprobes. The results from this project have the potential to supply broad scientific impacts regarding how (or if) reef-building corals will survive future climate change scenarios, and will help establish several parameter ranges that could be used to strengthen ocean acidification and coral reef growth models. Likewise, broader impacts toward further education will include the professional development of two postdoctoral scholars, two PhD graduate students, and several undergraduate students. This project will also enhance scientific and technological understanding by several public outreach efforts, including participation and research education in the Young Ocean Explorers program at the Batelle Discovery Center in Ohio, the annual Coast Day public open house at the University of Delaware, as well as advisement in the National Ocean Science Bowl in Georgia.