NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: Multi-omic characterization of the coral mucus during sedimentation disturbances

该行动为2019财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。这项研究特别关注了夏威夷希洛的流域，以及这些流域对海湾珊瑚生存的作用。众所周知，珊瑚会受到暴雨后土地径流的影响，但很少有研究调查珊瑚死亡背后的机制。珊瑚的存活很大程度上取决于它们表面黏液中的细菌和分子。这名研究员将研究珊瑚黏液在暴雨中是如何变化的。该项目对于展示陆地和海洋生态系统之间的相互依存关系非常重要。这个项目将以夏威夷土著青年为目标，扩大对生物学的参与。尽管夏威夷原住民属于一种植根于科学观察的文化，但他们是生物学中代表性最不足的人口统计学之一。这名研究员将验证一个假设，即稳定的微生物和分子群落在大雨期间会暂时中断。从最丰富的珊瑚物种收集的黏液将在三次大雨期间进行监测。珊瑚黏液的微生物组和代谢组将使用下一代DNA测序和质谱技术进行分析和处理。此外，该研究员将扩大微生物组和代谢组学分析的研究培训，同时开发3D水下摄影测量的新方法。该研究员将在整个项目期间在夏威夷大学希洛的Keaholoa学生中心展示这项研究的结果。调查结果也将在希洛当地的高中分享。在火诺丽岛海滩公园举行的最后一个社区日将宣传跨流域海洋管理的重要性。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。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. This research specifically looks at the watersheds of Hilo, Hawai'i and the role these have on coral survival in the bay. It is known that corals are affected by land runoff after heavy rains, but very little research has been done to investigate the mechanisms behind coral death. Coral survival depends greatly on the bacteria and molecules found in their surface mucus. The fellow will investigate how coral mucus changes in response to heavy rainfall. This project is important for demonstrating the interdependent relationship between land and ocean ecosystems. This project will broaden participation in biology by targeting Native Hawaiian youth. Native Hawaiians are one of the most underrepresented demographics in biology despite belonging to a culture that is rooted in scientific observation. The fellow will test the hypothesis that stable microbial and molecular communities will be temporarily disrupted during heavy rain events. Mucus collected from the most abundant coral species will be monitored over three heavy rain events. The microbiome and metabolome of coral mucus will be profiled and processed using next generation DNA sequencing and mass spectrometry techniques. Additionally, the fellow will expand research training in microbiome and metabolomic analysis while developing new methods in 3D underwater photogrammetry. The fellow will present the findings of this research throughout the duration of the project at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo's Keaholoa student center. The findings will also be shared throughout the local high schools in Hilo. A final community day at Honoli'i Beach Park will promote the importance of ocean stewardship across watersheds.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.