Zooglider assessment of zooplankton frontal gradients across the BIOSWOT-Med region

海洋锋面是一个水平不连续的区域，可以改变浮游植物的生长速度和群落组成，浮游动物的分布和放牧活动，以及捕食者觅食的成功。这项研究正在使用Zooglider，这是一种配备了一系列传感器的自主海洋采样器，并利用独特的机会调查地中海西部的锋面梯度和浮游生物群落。这是一个新的美国宇航局卫星使命的快速交叉阶段。卫星和实地收集的数据相结合将提供海洋锋过程的生物物理后果的高分辨率。该项目包括对研究生和本科生的培训以及公共宣传。通过与每年接待45万游客的大型公共水族馆合作，包括通过展出旨在传达探索海洋浮游动物的感官体验的新型瓷器“Zooware”，广泛传播成果。该项目专注于促进对西地中海锋面过程的理解，在一个“交叉”站点，美国宇航局的新表面水海洋地形（SWOT）卫星正在使用高分辨率传感器进行高频海面高度测量。SWOT卫星的测量正在分辨海面高度的微小变化，从而有可能跟踪海洋锋面系统的发展和时间进程。研究人员正在通过测试以下假设来评估这些锋面系统的后果：1）浮游动物，海洋雪颗粒和捕食者在这些海洋锋面区域中以大小依赖或特征依赖的反应发生变化; 2）颗粒放牧浮游动物与海洋雪层的关系比与活浮游植物层的关系更密切; 3）浮游动物的垂直薄层更容易在锋面区域形成，而不是非锋面区域; 4）更高的捕食者，如食动物性鱼类和海洋哺乳动物，在锋面区域更容易被发现。它包括一个阴影成像Zoocam，用于分辨浮游动物和海洋雪;一个双频Zonar，用于分辨中型浮游动物和较大的声学后向散射源;一个灵敏的水听器，用于记录环境声音，特别是海洋哺乳动物和鱼类的声音。这些自主测量与船基采样计划、其他自主车辆和卫星遥感的补充测量相协调。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Ocean fronts are regions of sharp horizontal discontinuities that can alter phytoplankton growth rates and community composition, zooplankton distributions and grazing activity, and predator foraging success. This study is using Zooglider, an autonomous ocean sampler equipped with a range of sensors and capitalizing on a unique opportunity to investigate frontal gradients and plankton communities in the western Mediterranean Sea. It is timed to coincide with a rapid crossover phase of a new NASA satellite mission. The combination of satellite and field-collected data will provide high resolution of the bio-physical consequences of oceanic frontal processes. The project incorporates training for graduate and undergraduate students as well as public outreach. Results are broadly communicated by partnering with a major public aquarium that serves 450,000 visitors per year, including by exhibiting novel porcelain ‘Zooware’ meant to convey the sensory experience of exploring the ocean’s planktonic fauna.This project focuses on advancing understanding of frontal processes in the western Mediterranean Sea, at a ‘crossover’ site where NASA’s new Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite is making high-frequency sea surface height measurements using a high-resolution sensor. Measurements from the SWOT satellite are resolving small changes in sea-surface height, making it possible to follow the development and temporal progression of ocean frontal systems. The investigator is assessing the consequences of these frontal systems by testing the hypotheses that 1) zooplankton, marine snow particles, and predators are altered in these ocean frontal regions with a size-dependent or trait-dependent response; 2) particle-grazing zooplankton are more closely associated with layers of marine snow than with layers of living phytoplankton; 3) vertical thin layers of zooplankton are more likely to form in frontal than non-frontal regions; and 4) higher predators such as zooplanktivorous fish and marine mammals are more detectable in frontal regions The project makes use of an autonomous ocean instrument, the Zooglider. It includes a shadowgraph imaging Zoocam for resolving zooplankton and marine snow; a dual frequency Zonar to resolve mesozooplankton and larger sources of acoustic backscatter; and a sensitive hydrophone for recording ambient sounds, especially from marine mammals and fishes. These autonomous measurements are coordinated with complementary measurements from a ship-based sampling program, other autonomous vehicles, and satellite remote sensing.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.