Thermal Sensitivity of Antarctic Embryos and Larvae: Effects of Temperature on Metabolism, Developmental Rate, and the Metabolic Cost of Development

南极海洋中的冷血动物在近乎恒定的极端寒冷条件下存活了数百万年，对水温的微小变化也非常敏感。然而，这种极端的热敏性对发育中的胚胎的能量学、发育和存活的影响尚不清楚。该奖项将研究温度对南极海洋变温动物胚胎和幼虫的代谢、生长速率、发育速率和发育能量学的影响。该项目还将测量麦克默多湾不同地点的温度和氧气的年变化，并比较冬季和夏季的胚胎和幼虫代谢，以确定这些生命阶段能够适应季节变化的程度。这项研究将深入了解极地海洋动物和生态系统抵御极地海洋变暖条件的能力。南极海洋变温动物普遍表现出生长缓慢、代谢速率低和发育迟缓的特点，但它们的许多与生理和代谢有关的速率过程都是高度热敏感的。这表明，温度的微小变化可能导致能量代谢、生长、发育速度和持续时间的巨大变化。该项目将测量温度对四种常见和生态重要的南极底栖海洋无脊椎动物的新陈代谢、发育速率和能量成本的影响。这些影响将在生物的功能范围内以及麦克默多湾周围与环境相关的季节温度变化的背景下进行测量。最近的数据表明，麦克默多站附近的季节性变暖约1摄氏度，伴随着影响近岸边界层底栖动物的长时间高氧事件。这项研究将提供更全面的了解整个海湾环境氧气和温度的年变化，以及这种变化是否驱动了与生理适应一致的发育速率和能量学的变化。这些数据将提供关于变暖的南极变温动物潜在影响的关键信息。此外，该项目将支持本科生和研究生的研究，并与ANNH和AANAPISI标题III少数民族服务机构的大招生本科课程和REU项目合作。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Cold-blooded animals in the Antarctic ocean have survived in near-constant, extreme cold conditions for millions of years and are very sensitive to even small changes in water temperature. However, the consequences of this extreme thermal sensitivity for the energetics, development, and survival of developing embryos is not well understood. This award will investigate the effect of temperature on the metabolism, growth rate, developmental rate, and developmental energetics of embryos and larvae of Antarctic marine ectotherms. The project will also measure annual variation in temperature and oxygen at different sites in McMurdo Sound, and compare embryonic and larval metabolism in winter and summer to determine the extent to which these life stages can acclimate to seasonal shifts. This research will provide insight into the ability of polar marine animals and ecosystems to withstand warming polar ocean conditions.Antarctic marine ectotherms exhibit universally slow growth, low metabolic rates, and extended development, yet many of their rate processes related to physiology and metabolism are highly thermally sensitive. This suggests that small changes in temperature may result in dramatic changes to energy metabolism, growth, and the rate and duration of development. This project will measure the effects of temperature on metabolism, developmental rate, and the energetic cost of development of four common and ecologically important species of benthic Antarctic marine invertebrates. These effects will be measured over the functional ranges of the organisms and in the context of environmentally relevant seasonal shifts in temperature around McMurdo Sound. Recent data show that seasonal warming of ~1 deg C near McMurdo Station is accompanied by long-lasting hyperoxic events that impact the benthos in the nearshore boundary layer. This research will provide a more comprehensive understanding of both annual variation in environmental oxygen and temperature across the Sound, and whether this variation drives changes in developmental rate and energetics that are consistent with physiological acclimatization. These data will provide key information about potential impacts of warming Antarctic ectotherms. In addition, this project will support undergraduate and graduate research and partner with large-enrollment undergraduate courses and REU programs at an ANNH and AANAPISI Title III minority-serving institution.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.