CAREER: Predicting ecosystem metabolism of rocky intertidal communities in warming and acidifying oceans.

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。全球变暖和海洋酸化（OA）对岩石潮间带生态系统的破坏性影响预计将随着海洋继续变暖和酸化而增加。此外，由于人为压力因素，关键基础物种的丧失导致当地条件的变化，从而改变生态系统的功能。虽然有关于岩石系统中个体生物对OA和变暖的生理反应的数据，但关于群落和生态系统尺度代谢反应的研究却少得多。通过对照实验室研究、现场实验和将实验结果与预先存在的时间序列数据相结合的综合建模方法，所提出的工作为理解改变的环境条件如何影响岩石潮间带系统的生态系统功能提供了关键的一步。建议的工作集中在首要问题上：环境变化和基础物种的丧失如何相互作用，影响岩质潮间带群落的生态系统功能？PI将研究与生态和定量教育机会相结合，包括海洋生态学实验室/实地方法的课堂和实践培训，以及面向本科生的数据科学和编码训练营。重要的是，这些机会在经济上和教育上支持了这个国家最大的少数族裔服务机构之一传统上代表性不足的学生。该项目为35名本科生（数据科学25名，野外/实验室科学10名，均为有偿）、2-3名硕士生提供强化指导和培训支持，并提供海洋生态学课堂实践机会（约125名学生）。除了正规教育外，PI还与一位驻场艺术家合作，在洛杉矶通过互动和沉浸式艺术装置向更广泛的公众传播科学。由于岩石潮间带系统提供重要的生态系统服务，包括粮食生产、海岸保护和旅游，因此了解（空气和海洋）变暖、酸化和改变的群落状态如何影响珊瑚礁尺度的生态系统代谢至关重要。虽然已有关于各种潮间带类群对温度胁迫、海洋酸化和栖息地丧失的响应的信息，但关于生态系统代谢（如NEP和NEC）对这些胁迫的响应的信息明显较少。本研究的重点是一系列概念上的知识缺口，并测试不同的变暖制度、pH值降低和群落干扰导致群落代谢改变并最终影响生态系统功能的机制。具体而言，本研究：1)描述了实验中生态系统在不同pH条件下多种生态系统功能的群落热性能曲线；2)利用干扰前后环境变率的自然变化，描述了生态系统功能的驱动因素（如净生态系统生产[NEP]和净生态系统钙化[NEC]）；3)将16年来公开的群落组成和环境时序数据与实验室和野外数据相结合，预测生态系统代谢率，并预测未来生态系统代谢如何变化。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 award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The devastating impacts of global warming and ocean acidification (OA) on rocky intertidal ecosystems are expected to increase as the oceans continue to warm and acidify. Further, loss of critical foundation species as a result of anthropogenic stressors lead to changes in local conditions that alter ecosystem functioning. While data exist on the physiological response of individual organisms to OA and warming in rocky systems, far less research has been conducted on community and ecosystem-scale metabolic responses. The proposed work provides a critical step in understanding how altered environmental conditions affect ecosystem functioning in rocky intertidal systems through the combination of controlled laboratory studies, field experiments, and a synthetic modeling approach integrating experimental results with pre-existing time-series data. The proposed work is focused on the overarching question: How does shifting environmental variability and loss of foundation species interact to affect ecosystem functioning in rocky intertidal communities? The PI is integrating research with ecological and quantitative educational opportunities including classroom and hands-on training in lab/field methods in marine ecology, and data science and coding bootcamps for undergraduate students. Importantly, these opportunities financially and educationally support traditionally underrepresented students at one of the largest minority-serving institutions in the country. This project provides support for intensive mentoring and training for 35 undergraduate students (25 in data science and 10 in field/lab science, all paid), 2-3 masters students, and hands-on marine ecology opportunities in the classroom (~125 students). In addition to formal education, the PI is collaborating with an artist-in-residence to communicate science to the broader public through interactive and immersive art installations in Los Angeles.Because rocky intertidal systems provide important ecosystem services including food production, coastal protection, and tourism, it is critical to understand how warming (both air and ocean), acidification, and altered community states affect reef-scale ecosystem metabolism. While information exists on responses of a variety of individual intertidal taxa to temperature stress, ocean acidification, and habitat loss, there is notably less on the response of ecosystem metabolism (e.g. NEP and NEC) to these stressors. This proposed work is focused on a series of conceptual knowledge gaps and tests mechanisms through which different warming regimes, lowered pH, and community disturbance lead to altered community metabolism and ultimately affect ecosystem function. Specifically, this study: 1) Describes community thermal performance curves of multiple ecosystem functions under differing pH conditions in experimental mesocosms, 2) characterizes drivers of ecosystem functioning (e.g. Net Ecosystem Production [NEP] and Net Ecosystem Calcification [NEC]) in situ using natural changes in environmental variability before and after a disturbance, and 3) integrates 16 years of publicly available community composition and environmental time-series data with lab and field data to hindcast ecosystem metabolic rates and predict how ecosystem metabolism may change in the future.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.