"CAREER:" Shark Survivor! Interdisciplinary approaches to modern and paleo- ecology in research and education

鲨鱼在过去的4亿年里一直在海洋中游荡，并在过去严重的气候变化时期幸存下来。今天，鲨鱼生活在一系列栖息地，但越来越多地受到人类活动的影响。许多科学家研究当今鲨鱼的运动、饮食和生态，但这与古代鲨鱼相比如何？幸运的是，鲨鱼的牙齿是最丰富的化石之一，生物细节都包含在它们的化学成分和形状中。该项目旨在利用地球化学、古生物学和建模技术，架起我们对现代和古代鲨鱼生态学的理解的桥梁。该项目侧重于始新世（56 - 34My），其温度较高，二氧化碳含量高，通常被认为是未来气候变化的深时间模拟。一些鲨鱼样本将由加州大学默塞德分校的本科生在佛罗里达州迈阿密菲尔德学校的实践课程中收集。这些学生还将学习实验室技能，并与暑期本科生研究所建立一个研究社区。这种跨学科的方法也将成为“鲨鱼幸存者！”的一部分，这是一个为期一周的中学生暑期研讨会，是CalTeach山猫STEM学院的一部分。该提案旨在通过整合古生物学中的地球化学和建模方法，深入研究鲨鱼宏观生态学和现代与古代海洋生态系统之间的桥梁概念。感兴趣的地区是北冰洋/北海、南极南大洋和墨西哥湾；这些地区有多个始新世地区，并跨越了一个纬度范围，这使得跨环境梯度的生态比较成为可能。该项目的目标包括：1)利用稳定同位素分析和全球气候输出比较区域内的温度和盐度梯度；2)锌和搪瓷结合氮同位素作为鲨鱼化石营养水平指标的研究进展；3)考虑人口动态和群落多样性的海洋食物网结构探索。这个项目的目标是改变鲨鱼古生物学，使现代和古生态概念保持一致。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。

Sharks have roamed the oceans for the past 400 million years and survived past periods of severe climate change. Today, sharks live in a range of habitats, but are increasingly impacted by human activity. Many scientists study the movement, diet, and ecology of today’s sharks, but how does this compare to ancient sharks? Fortunately, shark teeth are one of the most abundant fossils and biological details are encoded within their chemistry and shape. This project seeks to bridge our understanding of modern and ancient shark ecology using techniques from geochemistry, paleontology, and modeling. This project focuses on the Eocene Epoch (56 - 34My) with its warm temperatures and high carbon dioxide levels, which is often invoked as a deep-time analogue for future climate change. Some shark samples will be collected by undergraduate students from the University of California, Merced during a hands-on course at Field School based in Miami, Florida. These students will also learn laboratory skills and build a research community with the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute. This interdisciplinary approach will also be part of “Shark Survivor!” a one-week summer workshop of middle school students as part of CalTeach’s Bobcat STEM Academy.This proposal seeks to delve into shark macroecology and bridge concepts between modern and ancient marine ecosystems by integrating geochemical and modeling approaches within paleobiology. The regions of interest are the Arctic Ocean/North Sea, Antarctic Southern Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico; these regions have multiple Eocene localities and together span a latitudinal range, which allows for ecological comparisons across environmental gradients. Objectives for this project include: 1) a comparison of temperature and salinity gradients within a region using stable isotope analysis and global climate outputs; 2) advancement of zinc and enameloid bound nitrogen isotopes as trophic level indicators for fossil sharks; 3) exploration of marine food web structure while considering demography dynamics and community diversity. The goal of this project is to transform shark paleobiology and align modern and paleo- ecological concepts.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.