A novel approach for evaluating temporal and spatial changes in trophic structure of the mesopelagic eastern Pacific

评估东太平洋中层营养结构时空变化的新方法

• 批准号: 1155728
• 负责人: Paul Koch
• 金额: $ 51.64万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Cruz
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-03-01 至 2016-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1155728&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: novel; approach; evaluating; temporal; spatial

Anthropogenic and natural climatic perturbations drive changes in population dynamics of species, the structure and function of food webs, and biogeochemical processes. The PIs propose a comparative analysis of three major ecosystems to investigate temporal change in the structure of mesopelagic food webs. Intellectual Merit: The PIs will investigate temporal changes in the structure of mesopelagic food webs in three major ecosystems: the California Current, Eastern Tropical Pacific, and the Peru-Humboldt Current over the past 50 years using a globally distributed apex predator as an indicator species. The predator is the sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, and the PIs will use stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen as indicators of habitat and diet. Isotope values from bulk tissues of teeth and skin (C and N) as well as specific amino acids (N) will be used to address two primary objectives: (a) examine temporal patterns in the trophic position of sperm whales (as an indicator of changes in mesopelagic trophic structure) and baseline isotopic values (as indicators of nutrient cycling); and (b) use isotopic values, which vary among systems, to define the population structure of sperm whales from past and present times, and connectivity among populations.Broader Impacts: This project will be conducted by researchers from academia and NOAA/NMFS with expertise in stable isotope analysis, trophic ecology, and ecosystem-based management of protected species. As such, it represents an opportunity for collaboration between scientists with complementary skills and from diverse institutions to compare structure and function of ecosystems across the eastern Pacific. Moreover, it represents a collaboration between academia and a federal agency with research and management responsibilities. The project will support a postdoctoral scholar (Iliana Ruiz-Cooley), a Ph.D. student, and undergraduate students to enhance their career and collaborative opportunities. The PIs anticipate that the results of their study will provide unique data to evaluate the effects of perturbations within and among mesopelagic ecosystems. This information may allow the scientific community to relate trends in climate to changes in trophic position of top predators and nutrient cycling, allowing more robust understanding of possible responses to future warming. Finally, as the first systematic applications of compound-specific stable isotope analysis to marine mammals, the project should be highly instructive for future evaluations of the feeding ecology, population structure and dynamics of endangered marine mammals. As such, this novel approach and unique historic perspective will be directly applicable for stock assessment and management.

人为和自然气候扰动推动了物种种群动态、食物网结构和功能以及生物地球化学过程的变化。 PI 提出对三个主要生态系统进行比较分析，以研究中层食物网结构的时间变化。 智力价值：PI将使用全球分布的顶级捕食者作为指示物种，调查过去50年来加州海流、东热带太平洋海流和秘鲁洪堡海流这三个主要生态系统中中层食物网结构的时间变化。 捕食者是抹香鲸（Physeter macrocephalus），PI 将使用碳和氮的稳定同位素比率作为栖息地和饮食的指标。 来自牙齿和皮肤大块组织（C 和 N）以及特定氨基酸（N）的同位素值将用于实现两个主要目标：（a）检查抹香鲸营养位置的时间模式（作为中层营养结构的变化）和基线同位素值（作为营养循环的指标）； (b) 使用因系统而异的同位素值来定义抹香鲸过去和现在的种群结构以及种群之间的连通性。 更广泛的影响：该项目将由来自学术界和 NOAA/NMFS 具有专业知识的研究人员进行稳定同位素分析、营养生态学和受保护物种的基于生态系统的管理。因此，它为具有互补技能的科学家和来自不同机构的科学家之间的合作提供了一个机会，以比较整个东太平洋生态系统的结构和功能。此外，它代表了学术界和负有研究和管理责任的联邦机构之间的合作。 该项目将支持一名博士后学者（Iliana Ruiz-Cooley），一名博士。学生和本科生，以增加他们的职业和合作机会。 PI预计他们的研究结果将提供独特的数据来评估中层生态系统内部和之间的扰动的影响。这些信息可以让科学界将气候趋势与顶级捕食者营养位置的变化和营养循环联系起来，从而更深入地了解对未来变暖的可能反应。最后，作为化合物特异性稳定同位素分析在海洋哺乳动物中的首次系统应用，该项目对于未来评估濒危海洋哺乳动物的摄食生态、种群结构和动态具有很强的指导意义。因此，这种新颖的方法和独特的历史视角将直接适用于种群评估和管理。

项目成果

Effects of decalcification on bulk and compound-specific nitrogen and carbon isotope analyses of dentin: Effects of decalcification on isotope analyses of dentin

脱钙对牙本质整体和化合物特异性氮和碳同位素分析的影响：脱钙对牙本质同位素分析的影响

• DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7073
• 发表时间: 2014
• 期刊: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
• 影响因子: 2
• 作者: Brault, Emily K.;Koch, Paul L.;Gier, Elizabeth;Ruiz-Cooley, R. I.;Zupcic, Jessica;Gilbert, Kwasi N.;McCarthy, Matthew D.
• 通讯作者: McCarthy, Matthew D.