Collaborative Research: The Chemical Ecology of Shallow-water Marine Macroalgae and Invertebrates on the Antarctic Peninsula

合作研究：南极半岛浅水海洋大型藻类和无脊椎动物的化学生态学

• 批准号: 1341333
• 负责人: Charles Amsler
• 金额: $ 89.97万
• 依托单位: University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1341333&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Chemical; Ecology; Shallow

The coastal environments of the western Antarctic Peninsula harbor rich assemblages of marine animals and algae. The importance of the interactions between these groups of organisms in the ecology of coastal Antarctica are well known and often mediated by chemical defenses in the tissues of the algae. These chemicals are meant to deter feeding by snails and other marine animals making the Antarctic Peninsula an excellent place to ask important questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of chemical compound diversity for marine communities. This project will focus on three main objectives: the first objective is to expand the current understanding of the relationship between algae and their associated marine animals. The second objective focuses on the diversity of chemical compounds used to defend algae from being consumed. The third objective seeks to understand how marine animals can benefit from these compounds by consuming the algae that contain them, and then using those compounds to chemically deter predators. The field components of this research will be performed during three expeditions to the US Palmer Station, Antarctica. During these expeditions, a variety of laboratory feeding bioassays, manipulative field and laboratory experiments, and on-site chemical analyses will be performed. The investigators will also foster opportunities to integrate their NSF research with a variety of educational activities. As in the past they will support undergraduate research, both through NSF programs as well as home, university-based, programs, and they will also continue to support and foster graduate education. Through their highly successful University of Alabama in Antarctica interactive web program (two time recipient of awards of excellence from the US Council for Advancement and Support of Education), they will continue to involve large numbers of teachers, K-12 students, and other members of the community at large in their scientific endeavors in Antarctica. In addition, the investigators have hosted K-12 teachers on their Antarctic field teams through the former NSF Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic program and will pursue participation in PolarTREC, the successor to this valuable program. Moreover, they will actively participate in outreach efforts by presenting numerous talks on their research to local school and community groups. The near shore environments of the western Antarctic Peninsula harbor rich assemblages of macroalgae and macroinvertebrates. The importance of predator-prey interactions and chemical defenses in mediating community-wide trophic interactions makes the western Antarctic Peninsula an excellent place to ask important questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of defensive compound diversity for marine communities. This project will focus on three main objectives which are a direct outcome of the past studies of the chemical ecology of shallow-water marine macroalgae and invertebrates on the Antarctic Peninsula by this group of investigators. The first objective is to expand the current understanding of a community-wide mutualism between macroalgae and their associated amphipods to include gastropods, which are also abundant on many macroalgae. The second objective focuses on the diversity of chemical compounds used to defend macroalgae from being consumed, particularly in the common red alga Plocamium cartilagineum. The third objective seeks to understand the relationship between P. cartilagineum and the amphipod Paradexamine fissicauda, including the ecological benefits and costs to P. fissicauda resulting from the ability to consume P. cartilagineum and other chemically defended red algae. The investigators will focus on the costs and benefits related to the ability of P. fissicauda to sequester defensive compounds from the alga P. cartilagineum and use those chemicals to defend itself from predation. The field components of this research will be performed during three expeditions to Palmer Station, Antarctica. During these expeditions, a variety of laboratory feeding bioassays, manipulative field and laboratory experiments, and on-site chemical analyses will be performed. Phylogenetic analyses, detailed secondary metabolite chemical analyses and purifications, and other data analyses will also be performed at the investigators' home institutions between and after their field seasons.

南极半岛西部的沿海环境蕴藏着丰富的海洋动物和藻类。这些生物群之间相互作用在南极洲沿海生态中的重要性是众所周知的，并且通常由藻类组织中的化学防御介导。 这些化学物质旨在阻止蜗牛和其他海洋动物的进食，使南极半岛成为提出有关化学化合物多样性对海洋群落的功能和进化意义的重要问题的绝佳场所。该项目将重点关注三个主要目标：第一个目标是扩大目前对藻类及其相关海洋动物之间关系的理解。第二个目标侧重于用于保护藻类不被消耗的化合物的多样性。第三个目标旨在了解海洋动物如何通过食用含有这些化合物的藻类，然后使用这些化合物来化学阻止捕食者，从而从这些化合物中受益。这项研究的实地部分将在对南极洲美国帕尔默站的三次考察期间进行。在这些探险期间，将进行各种实验室喂养生物测定、操作性现场和实验室实验以及现场化学分析。研究人员还将创造机会将其 NSF 研究与各种教育活动相结合。与过去一样，他们将通过 NSF 项目以及国内大学项目支持本科生研究，并且还将继续支持和促进研究生教育。通过他们非常成功的阿拉巴马大学南极洲互动网络项目（两次获得美国教育促进和支持委员会颁发的卓越奖），他们将继续吸引大量教师、K-12 学生和其他成员整个社会在南极洲的科学努力。此外，研究人员还通过前 NSF 教师体验南极洲和北极项目接待了其南极实地团队中的 K-12 教师，并将寻求参与 PolarTREC（这一有价值的项目的后续项目）。此外，他们将积极参与外展活动，向当地学校和社区团体就他们的研究进行多次演讲。南极半岛西部的近岸环境蕴藏着丰富的大型藻类和大型无脊椎动物群。捕食者-猎物相互作用和化学防御在调节整个群落营养相互作用中的重要性使得南极西部半岛成为提出有关海洋群落防御性化合物多样性的功能和进化意义的重要问题的绝佳场所。该项目将重点关注三个主要目标，这些目标是该研究小组过去对南极半岛浅水海洋大型藻类和无脊椎动物化学生态学研究的直接结果。第一个目标是扩大目前对大型藻类与其相关端足类动物之间的群落互利共生的理解，将腹足动物包括在内，腹足类动物在许多大型藻类中也含量丰富。第二个目标侧重于用于保护大型藻类免遭消耗的化合物的多样性，特别是常见的红藻 Plocamium cartilagineum。第三个目标旨在了解 P. cartilagineum 和端足类 Paradexamine fissicauda 之间的关系，包括 P. cartilagineum 和其他化学防护红藻的消耗能力所带来的生态效益和成本。研究人员将重点关注裂尾 P. fissicauda 从藻类 P. cartilagineum 中隔离防御性化合物并利用这些化学物质防御捕食的能力相关的成本和收益。这项研究的实地部分将在前往南极洲帕尔默站的三次考察期间进行。在这些探险期间，将进行各种实验室喂养生物测定、操作性现场和实验室实验以及现场化学分析。系统发育分析、详细的次级代谢物化学分析和纯化以及其他数据分析也将在研究人员所在机构的野外季节之间和之后进行。