Establishing a U.S.-Turkey collaboration on the introduction of blue crabs to the Mediterranean and their effects on the native ecosystems

该奖项支持一个国际合作项目，研究蓝蟹从其原产地（北美）入侵到引进范围（地中海和周边海域）。这项研究将由一个包括两所美国大学（UT Austin和杜克）和两所土耳其大学（卡纳卡莱Onsekiz Mart大学和Ege大学）的团队进行。美国团队提供海洋群落生态学、蓝蟹生物学、海洋分子分析和物理海洋学方面的专业知识。土耳其团队提供底栖无脊椎动物生态学以及渔业生物学和种群动态方面的专业知识，这项研究的知识价值来自其跨学科（结合生物学和生态学）和比较性质，因为很少有研究考察入侵物种在其本地和引入的范围。该项目将展示全基因组关联研究的力量，以确定遗传结构和入侵源种群的关系。此外，通过对蓝蟹胃内容物的小规模调查，这项研究将为了解蓝蟹在本地和引进范围社区中的作用迈出第一步。具体目标包括分享技术，应用最先进的遗传学方法来研究蓝蟹种群结构和地中海引进历史，比较本地和引进范围内的猎物物种，并为后续提案制定详细计划。这项研究将加深对入侵物种行为和影响的理解，这是美国和世界各地的一个关键问题。对蓝蟹本身的详细了解将加强北卡罗来纳州的渔业管理，以及德克萨斯州更广泛的野生动物管理，蓝蟹是高鸣鹤的主要食物来源。此外，该项目将通过纳入研究生和博士后学生以及初级教师，为全球参与的科学劳动力做出贡献。

This award supports an international collaborative project to study the invasion of blue crabs from its native (North America) to an introduced range (Mediterranean and surrounding seas). The research is to be carried out by a team including two U.S. (UT Austin and Duke) and two Turkish (Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University and Ege University) universities. The U.S. team provides expertise in marine community ecology, blue crab biology, marine molecular analysis and physical oceanography. The Turkish team provides expertise in the ecology of benthic invertebrates as well as fisheries biology and population dynamics.The intellectual merit of this study derives from its interdisciplinary (combining biology and ecology) and comparative nature, as few studies examine invasive species in both their native and introduced ranges. The project will demonstrate the power of genome-wide association studies to determine genetic structure and relationships of invasive to source populations. Also, through a small-scale survey of blue crab stomach contents the study will provide a first step towards understanding the role of blue crabs in the native and introduced range communities. Specific goals include sharing techniques, applying a state of the art genetics approach to examine the blue crab population structure and Mediterranean introduction history, comparing prey species in the native and introduced ranges, and making detailed plans for subsequent proposals.This research will generate enhanced understanding of the behaviors and impacts of invasive species, a critical problem in the U.S. and around the world. The detailed knowledge of the blue crab itself will enhance fisheries management in North Carolina as well as broader wildlife management in Texas, where blue crabs are the primary food source for whooping cranes. Further, the project will contribute to a globally engaged scientific workforce through the inclusion of graduate and post-doctoral students, as well as junior faculty.