Urgent replacement of a submersible fluorometer for understanding factors affecting the spatial dynamics of phytoplankton community structure and function

所要求的是紧急更换一台能够生成高分辨率（厘米级）剖面图的潜水荧光计，以确定湖泊水体中若干浮游植物群体的现场空间分布特征。我已经做了国际意义的研究，涉及的顺序25 HQP，与较早（2003年）模型的文书，不再功能。最初的仪器（bbe FluoroProbe）已经成为我研究湖泊浮游植物群落结构和功能以及影响这些的环境因素的研究计划的一个组成部分。由于我以前的潜水荧光计不再工作，也不能固定，我迫切需要用一个新的bbe PhycoProbe模型来取代它，它增加了一些新的重要功能，对我的研究计划和我的合作者都有很大的好处。特别是，PhycoProbe可以随着时间的推移自动运行，同时留在湖泊中的所需位置，从而收集高精度（高达4x/秒）的数据，使我的实验室能够探索与我的NSERC Discovery资助有关的问题浮游植物群落的季节性变化，包括气候变暖导致冰盖减少的影响。我的发现研究计划是基于评估功能性状之间的关系，浮游植物群落结构在不同的食物网和环境背景下，特别是与人为影响（营养物污染、气候变化、食物网扰动）;对于这个项目来说，具有PhycoProbe功能的潜水荧光计是必不可少的，因为我们需要在真实的时间内估计湖泊中的生物量分布，以便进一步研究。取样以评估性状动态。新的PhycoProbe增加了测量湖水中释放的藻蓝蛋白的功能，使我们能够在经历显著和不受欢迎的蓝藻水华的湖泊中更容易地检测到蓝藻毒素的存在。这将有助于我们与贝尔蒙特论坛（Biodevera）以及Ouranos和魁北克政府合作伙伴（MDDELCC，MFFP）共同参与的气候变化影响研究，以评估某些流域有毒蓝藻水华的倾向。除了在我自己的探索研究计划中服务外，该仪器还将于2019年夏天为NSERC LakePulse Network服务，该网络正在评估加拿大湖泊的生态系统健康，我的早期仪器在其消亡之前曾为之服务。获得急需的替代仪器将使我能够实现我的各种研究目标，同时也吸引了许多HQP学员，他们也将成为使用和解决仪器故障以及分析其产生的数据的专家。因此，HQP将获得可转移的技能，他们将能够在政府，私营部门和学术职位中担任水生生态和水质问题感兴趣的职位。

The request is for the urgent replacement of a submersible fluorometer capable of generating highly resolved (to the centimeter-level) profiles to characterize the in situ spatial distribution of several phytoplankton groups in the water column of lakes. I have done research of international significance, involving on the order of 25 HQP, with an earlier (2003) model of the instrument that is no longer functional. The original instrument (bbe FluoroProbe) has been as an integral part of my research program on the structure and function of phytoplankton communities in lakes and the environmental factors influencing these. As my earlier submersible fluorometer is no longer operational, nor fixable, I need urgently to replace it with a newer bbe PhycoProbe model that adds some new important features of great benefit to my research program and that of my collaborators. In particular, the PhycoProbe can run autonomously while left in lakes at a desired location over time, thereby collecting high precision (up to 4x/second) data that will allow my lab to explore questions associated with my NSERC Discovery grant related to seasonal changes in phytoplankton communities, including the effects of reduced ice cover with climate warming. My Discovery research program is based on assessing the relations between functional traits, phytoplankton community structure in different food web and environmental contexts, especially related to anthropogenic influences (nutrient pollution, climate change, food web perturbation); for this program a submersible fluorometer with the capabilities of the PhycoProbe is essential as we need to estimate the biomass distribution in lakes in real time for further sampling to assess trait dynamics. The new PhycoProbe comes with the added feature of measuring liberated phycocyanin in lake water, allowing us to detect the presence of cyanotoxins more easily in lakes experiencing significant and undesirable cyanobacteria blooms. This will serve in studies on climate change effects that we are engaged in with the Belmont Forum (Biodiversa), also with Ouranos and Québec government partners (MDDELCC, MFFP) to assess the propensity of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in certain watersheds. In addition to also serving in my own Discovery research program, the instrument would serve in summer 2019 for the NSERC LakePulse Network in which the ecosystem health of lakes across Canada is being assessed and for which my earlier instrument served before its demise. Obtaining a replacement instrument that is urgently needed will enable me to carry out my various research objectives, while also engaging many HQP trainees, who will also become experts in utilizing and trouble-shooting the instrument and analysis of the data it produces. HQP will thus gain transferable skills that they will be able to take with them to positions in government, private sector and academic positions where questions of aquatic ecology and water quality are of interest.