Collaborative Research: The role of sponges in the coastal nitrogen cycle

合作研究：海绵在沿海氮循环中的作用

• 批准号: 1129260
• 负责人: Brian Popp
• 金额: $ 21.03万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1129260&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; role; sponges; coastal

Sponges dramatically alter ecosystem water quality through the combination of extraordinary pumping rates and rapid, dynamic biogeochemical transformations. Sponge communities are ubiquitous in marine environments and can inhabit over 40% of the benthic area in tropical ecosystems. In this project, a research team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the University of Washington will continue their ongoing investigations of the importance of sponge nitrogen (N) transformations and fluxes in coastal environments through quantifying their role in the N cycle of Florida Bay, specifically the importance of these dominant benthic organisms in meeting the N demands of primary producers throughout the Bay. The team's previous research demonstrated that sponge dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) flux to overlying waters at Conch Reef, Florida Keys, was larger than any other benthic nitrogen (N) source. In choosing Florida Bay as their study area, the team will benefit from the wealth of available data concerning N sources and recycling, including estimated values for new N inputs, and quantitative sponge benthic biomass. By performing in situ sponge N flux measurements they expect be able to contribute information about a potentially important recycled N source that has not previously been quantified in N budgets. The overarching goal of this research is to establish the importance of sponge-mediated N cycling processes in Florida Bay where sponges are abundant, their biomass has been quantified at hundreds of stations and their key role in water filtration has been established, by quantifying rates and mechanisms of transformations of both dissolved and particulate organic nitrogen to DIN and N2 (nitrogen gas) by key sponge species, and elucidating controls on N2 production by natural factors such as sponge tissue dissolved oxygen concentrations. Broader Impacts: Sponges play a crucial role in the nutrient balance of coastal environments because they are abundant in tropical, temperate and polar habitats, they process tremendous volumes of water, and many common species host abundant and active microbial populations. Their impact on biogeochemical cycling in most environments, however, remains largely unknown. During this study, graduate and undergraduate students and a postdoctoral fellow will learn in both laboratory and field settings a spectrum of state-of-the-art techniques and instrumentation firsthand and, when the results are ultimately synthesized for publication, they will benefit from participation in the exchange of ideas with established researchers from diverse fields.

海绵通过非凡的抽水速率和快速、动态的生物地球化学转变的结合，极大地改变了生态系统的水质。海绵群落在海洋环境中无处不在，可以栖息在热带生态系统中超过 40% 的底栖区域。在该项目中，来自北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校、夏威夷大学马诺阿分校和华盛顿大学的研究小组将继续对沿海环境中海绵氮 (N) 转化和通量的重要性进行研究量化它们在佛罗里达湾氮循环中的作用，特别是这些优势底栖生物在满足整个海湾初级生产者氮需求方面的重要性。 该团队之前的研究表明，佛罗里达群岛海螺礁的海绵溶解无机氮 (DIN) 流向上覆水域的通量比任何其他底栖氮 (N) 源都要大。 在选择佛罗里达湾作为研究区域时，该团队将受益于有关氮源和回收的大量可用数据，包括新氮输入的估计值和定量海绵底栖生物量。通过进行原位海绵氮通量测量，他们希望能够提供有关潜在重要的回收氮源的信息，而这些信息以前尚未在氮预算中量化。这项研究的总体目标是确定佛罗里达湾海绵介导的氮循环过程的重要性，那里海绵丰富，它们的生物量已在数百个站点进行了量化，并且通过量化速率和确定了它们在水过滤中的关键作用。关键海绵物种将溶解和颗粒有机氮转化为 DIN 和 N2（氮气）的机制，并阐明海绵组织溶解氧浓度等自然因素对 N2 产生的控制。更广泛的影响：海绵在沿海环境的营养平衡中发挥着至关重要的作用，因为它们在热带、温带和极地栖息地中含量丰富，它们处理大量的水，并且许多常见物种拥有丰富且活跃的微生物种群。然而，它们对大多数环境中生物地球化学循环的影响仍然很大程度上未知。在这项研究期间，研究生和本科生以及博士后研究员将在实验室和现场环境中学习一系列最先进的技术和仪器，当结果最终综合发表时，他们将从参与中受益与来自不同领域的知名研究人员交流思想。