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

预计在未来几十年中，大气和海洋表面的二氧化碳浓度将继续大幅增加，导致海洋变暖和酸性增加，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持续增加。虽然最近有相当多的关注海洋酸化（由于更高的CO2单独）可能会对造礁珊瑚的生长产生负面影响，由于预计的钙化损失，CO2，温度和营养物质对珊瑚生理学和钙化的综合影响知之甚少。本项目将在实验室环境中研究高温、二氧化碳和营养物质对几种珊瑚的生理学和内部钙化化学的可能协同和拮抗作用。 研究工具将包括评估珊瑚的能量储存和代谢需求、共生藻类生理学和分子多样性、珊瑚钙化以及通过微探针直接测量珊瑚内部的pH值和碳酸盐浓度。该项目的结果有可能提供关于造礁珊瑚如何（或是否）在未来气候变化情景中生存的广泛科学影响，并将有助于建立可用于加强海洋酸化和珊瑚礁生长模型的几个参数范围。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众外联活动提高对科学和技术的认识，包括参与俄亥俄州巴特尔发现中心的青年海洋探险家方案并开展研究教育、特拉华州大学一年一度的海岸日公众开放日活动以及在格鲁吉亚举行的国家海洋科学碗活动。

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.