Subtropical North Pacific variability in primary production and nutrient utilization inferred from compound specific isotopes in Hawai'ian deep-sea coral gorgonin.

该项目将研究深海蛋白珊瑚中氨基酸的化合物特异性同位素特征是否可以用于解释上层海洋生态系统及其生物地球化学循环的变化。由于这些珊瑚以来自表面的颗粒物质（POM）为食，它们可能被用来解开驱动大量同位素变化的因素，并可能为研究海洋生产力、颗粒产生和循环的长期变化提供重要的代理工具扩展。假设化合物特异性分析既可以显示输出POM的平均营养位置，也可以显示食物网底部的原始特征，从而创建两个因素的独立记录。此外，有人提出，该结果将允许测量相对微生物变化，并直接记录出口产品的平均碳特征。研究人员将对北太平洋亚热带不同地区的一组存档的蛋白质珊瑚（Gerardia）样本进行分析，并利用这些信息构建营养结构记录，以及100-2000年来食物网底部的C和N特征。这些资料将有助于检查目前根据大量同位素记录所作解释的有效性，并提供更多的细节。这项研究将利用蛋白质珊瑚档案开发和验证一种潜在的重要古海洋学工具。该项目的科学价值和更广泛的影响是明确而深远的，不仅会影响化学海洋学，还会影响海洋界的其他分支。这种方法可以推广，一旦得到适当的论证，就可以用来理解不同的过程和生态系统。该项目将培训一名研究生，并将涉及对本科生的额外培训，并有一个额外的外联部分。

The project will investigate whether the compound-specific isotope signature of amino acids in deep-sea proteinaceous corals can be used to interpret changes in the upper ocean ecosystem and its biogeochemical cycling. As these corals feed on particulate material (POM) derived from the surface they potentially can be used to deconvolute the factors that combine to drive bulk isotope change, and may provide an important expansion of proxy tools for examining longer-term changes in ocean productivity and particulate production and cycling. It is hypothesized that the compound-specific analysis can indicate both the average trophic position of exported POM as well as original signature at the base of food webs, creating independent records of both factors. Additionally, it is proposed that the results will allow a measure of relative microbial alteration, and a direct record of the average C signature of exported production. An archived set of proteinaceous coral (Gerardia) samples from contrasting regions of the subtropical North Pacific Ocean will be analyzed and the information used to construct records of trophic structure, and C and N signatures at the base of the food webs over 100-2000 years. Such information will allow examination of the validity of current interpretations from bulk isotope records, as well as provide additional details. The research will develop and validate a potentially important paleoceanographic tool using proteinaceous coral archives.The scientific merits and broader impacts of the project are clear and far-reaching, and will impact not only Chemical Oceanography but also the other branches of the marine community. The approach could be generalized and used to understand different processes and ecosystems once it has been properly demonstrated. The project will train a graduate student and will involve additional training of undergraduates and has an additional outreach component.