RII Track-1: Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans

这个研究基础设施改善项目将把关岛和全国各地的研究人员聚集到一个世界级的研究和STEM培训设施。关岛位于西太平洋的密克罗尼西亚，是美国在世界上影响力的最西端。因此，它靠近美国最多样、最复杂、最未被研究的珊瑚礁系统。不幸的是，由于气候变化等因素，这些珊瑚礁系统正受到疾病的威胁。珊瑚疾病不仅对珊瑚本身，而且对生活在珊瑚中的动植物都可能是毁灭性的。该项目将使用最先进的技术研究这些系统，以了解这些珊瑚礁系统及其相关动植物如何应对气候变化和该地区日益普遍的疾病。此外，该项目还将创建生活在该地区的动植物在线目录，以便为子孙后代永久存档。最后，该项目将开发一系列有效的计划，以教育科学领域的劳动力。该项目将促使社区参与，以促进岛屿的可持续性，并将为此目的帮助建立新的和创新的商业机会。这一研究基础设施改善项目将创建一个世界级的研究和STEM培训设施，以应对该区域内快速变化的环境条件下珊瑚礁生存面临的挑战。关岛拥有全国最多样化和最复杂的珊瑚礁系统，迫切需要将现代和尖端研究引入这个生态系统，以应对气候变化挑战。该项目将实施一项系统的、多样化的研究议程，纳入生物多样性、种群遗传学、基因组学、系统发生学、生态学、微生物学、海洋学和数学模型的新知识，以记录和预测不断变化的环境中造礁生物和相关类群的分类和功能多样性。为此，该项目将解决涉及以下方面的问题：1)遗传多样性和连通性在赋予珊瑚礁复原力方面的作用；以及2)检测造礁者复原力的关键特征。此外，该项目还将协助扩大关岛大学内一个最先进的数字化、成像和绘图实验室和一个在线数据库。这个生物储存库将包括关岛现有和新收藏的4 000多个分类群，改进馆藏基础设施，并提供关于关岛和整个太平洋生物多样性的广泛文件和了解。生物库将向整个科学界提供标本、策展服务和生物多样性分析。该项目还将为STEM教育、劳动力发展和社区参与制定创新方案，以促进岛屿的可持续发展。特别是，该项目将针对服务不足的太平洋岛屿查莫罗社区。最后，该项目将加强和进一步建立大学的网络基础设施，将其作为环太平洋地区高速网络的纽带，并为该项目的基因组和海洋部分建立用于大数据分析的虚拟超级计算机能力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research infrastructure improvement project will bring together researchers from both within Guam and across the nation to a world-class research and STEM training facility. Guam, located in Micronesia in the western Pacific, is the westernmost reach of U.S. influence in the world. As such, it is located in close proximity to the nation’s most diverse, complex and understudied coral reef systems. Unfortunately, due to factors such as climate change, these coral reef systems are under threat from diseases. Coral diseases can be devastating to not only the corals themselves but also to the animals and plants that live within the corals. This project will study these systems using state-of-the-art techniques to understand how these coral reef systems, and their associated animals and plants, respond to climate change and diseases that are becoming more prevalent in the region. In addition, the project will create an on-line catalogue of animals and plants that live in the region so that they can be archived in perpetuity for future generations. Finally, this project will develop a cadre of effective programs to educate the workforce in science fields. The project will engage the community in order to promote island sustainability and will help build new and innovative business opportunities to that end. This research infrastructure improvement project will create a world-class research and STEM training facility that will address challenges to the survival of coral reefs under rapidly changing environmental conditions within the region. Guam has the nation’s most diverse and complex coral reef systems and there is an urgent need to bring modern and cutting-edge studies to this ecosystem to address climate change challenges. This project will implement a systematic, diverse research agenda incorporating new knowledge of biodiversity, population genetics, genomics, phylogenetics, ecology, microbiology, oceanography, and mathematical modeling to document and predict the taxonomic and functional diversity of reef-builders and associated taxa in a changing environment. To this end, the project will address questions involving: 1) the role of genetic diversity and connectivity in conferring reef resilience; and 2) detection of key traits for resilience for reef builders. Additionally, the project will facilitate the expansion of a state-of-the art digitization, imaging and mapping laboratory and an online database within the University of Guam. This biorepository will include over 4,000 taxa from existing and new collections on Guam, improve the curatorial infrastructure, and provide broad-based documentation and understanding of biodiversity on Guam and throughout the Pacific. The biorepository will provide specimens, curatorial services, and biodiversity analyses to the entire scientific community. This project will also develop innovative programs for STEM education, workforce development and community engagement to promote island sustainability. In particular, the project will target the underserved Pacific Island Chamorro communities. Finally, this project will enhance and further establish the University’s cyberinfrastructure as a nexus for high-speed networks in the Pacific Rim and build virtual supercomputer capabilities for big data analysis for the genomic and oceanographic components of this project.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.