DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Testing Alternative Hypotheses for the Goal of Orientation by Reef Fish Larvae throughout Development

论文研究：测试珊瑚鱼幼虫在整个发育过程中定向目标的替代假设

• 批准号: 1501651
• 负责人: Peter Buston
• 金额: $ 1.64万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-15 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1501651&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Testing; Alternative; Hypotheses

A central question of animal behavior and population ecology research is, how far do fish offspring disperse from their parents? This is because the dispersal of fish larvae connects distinct marine populations, thereby influencing the size and genetic diversity of those populations. In previous studies, marine ecologists have used two approaches to understand population connectivity: genetic methods that measure connectivity; and, oceanographic models that predict connectivity. There is, however, a large gap between the measured and predicted patterns of connectivity, which may be caused by the behavior of the fish larvae. Indeed, many reef fish larvae are outstanding swimmers that have the potential to influence their dispersal, but do they know where they are going? The objective of this research is to study the orientation abilities of fish larvae in the wild, throughout development and under a variety of environmental conditions, to determine whether understanding behavior can bridge the gap between observations and predictions of population connectivity. The completion of this research will enable improved predictions of population connectivity for other species, which will aid in the development of effective networks of marine reserves. The project will include a mentorship program for undergraduates in aquaculture and research, outreach to K-12 girls through the Science Club for Girls internship program and collaboration with local high school teachers.A significant gap in our understanding of marine ecology is the extent to which larval orientation behavior can influence the pattern of dispersal. This project will bridge this gap by investigating the ontogeny of larval orientation behavior using one tractable system: the neon goby, Elacatinus lori. The project has two main objectives: 1) to investigate changes in larval orientation abilities throughout development; and, 2) to test alternative hypotheses for the goal of larval orientation behavior, i.e., to determine what larvae are orienting toward. By deploying lab-reared larvae in a drifting in situ chamber, the researchers will test for an effect of age on the development of non-random orientation behavior, the proportion of larvae orienting and the precision of their orientation. The researchers will also manipulate the location of larval deployments to test and discriminate between alternative hypotheses for the goal of larval orientation. Ultimately, understanding the behavioral mechanisms of larval dispersal will increase our understanding of the causes of population connectivity and aid in the design of effective networks of marine reserves. Data will be archived at the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) or the NSF funded Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB).

动物行为和种群生态学研究的一个核心问题是，鱼后代从父母那里分散了多远？这是因为鱼类幼虫的扩散连接了不同的海洋种群，从而影响了这些人群的大小和遗传多样性。在先前的研究中，海洋生态学家使用了两种方法来了解人口连通性：衡量连通性的遗传方法；以及预测连通性的海洋模型。但是，测得的和预测的连通模式之间存在很大的差距，这可能是由于鱼幼虫的行为引起的。的确，许多礁鱼幼虫是有可能影响其分散的杰出游泳者，但是他们知道自己要去哪里吗？这项研究的目的是研究野外鱼类幼虫的取向能力，在整个发展和各种环境条件下，以确定理解行为是否可以弥合观察和人口连通性的预测之间的差距。这项研究的完成将改善对其他物种的人口连通性的预测，这将有助于开发有效的海洋储备网络。该项目将包括针对水产养殖和研究的本科生的指导计划，通过科学俱乐部女子实习计划向K-12女孩推广，并与当地高中教师合作。我们对海洋生态学的理解差距很大，这是幼虫方向行为可以影响分散模式的程度。该项目将通过使用一个可处理的系统研究幼虫取向行为的个体来弥合这一差距：霓虹灯戈比（Elacatinus lori）。该项目有两个主要目标：1）调查整个开发过程中幼虫取向能力的变化； 2）测试替代假设的幼虫取向行为的目标，即确定幼虫的方向。通过在漂流的原位室中部署实验室饲养的幼虫，研究人员将测试年龄对非随机方向行为发展的影响，幼虫方向的比例以及其方向的精度。研究人员还将操纵幼虫部署的位置，以测试和区分替代假设以实现幼虫取向。最终，了解幼虫分散的行为机制将增加我们对人口连通性的原因的理解，并有助于设计有效的海洋储量网络。数据将在国家海洋数据中心（NODC）或NSF资助的生物复杂知识网络（KNB）存档。