NSFDEB-NERC: Collaborative Research: Informing population models with evolutionary theory to infer species' conservation status

NSFDEB-NERC：合作研究：利用进化理论为种群模型提供信息以推断物种的保护状态

• 批准号: 1556779
• 负责人: Holly Kindsvater
• 金额: $ 74.94万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-04-01 至 2019-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1556779&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSFDEB; NERC; Collaborative; Research; Informing; NSFDEB; NERC; Collaborative; Research; Informing

Marine species are very hard to census. This is especially true of large, high value fishes that are vulnerable to overfishing because of their biology. For example, one third of shark and ray species are known to have declined in recent history, but it is unknown whether most of the remaining two-thirds are also declining, or if they are stable. Likewise, population sizes of predatory fishes such as groupers and tuna have decreased substantially due to intense fishing, yet little is known about the extent of decline and risk of extinction for some of these species. This project uses the evolutionary history of well-studied related species to provide estimates of basic demographic properties of little-studied species of fisheries and conservation importance. This knowledge provides important information to guide management efforts, such as limits on catch and trade, until more direct research can be carried out. The researchers will also engage in educational outreach on mathematical biology for undergraduates and on marine biodiversity science for the general public. Scientists often have some knowledge of individual traits such as reproductive behavior, lifespan, and metabolic rates of many related fish species, even in the absence of population-level information. Evolutionary theory can predict the co-evolution of these unique trait combinations of various groups. This theory can be used to infer demographic rates and project species' status, but previous efforts have not incorporated the unique details of each species' biology. This project will develop comprehensive theory linking the evolution of these traits to species status projections for tunas, groupers, and sharks and rays. Modern statistical methods will allow information from models of data-rich species, which have formal assessments, to be shared with poorly studied species in similar habitats, or with relatives. With this new understanding of population trajectories, the team will produce recommendations for use by organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as well as managers and scientists.

海洋物种很难人口。对于由于生物学而容易被过度捕获的大型鱼类尤其如此。例如，已知鲨鱼和射线的三分之一在最近的历史中有所下降，但尚不清楚其余三分之二的大多数也在下降，或者它们是否稳定。同样，由于捕鱼的强烈，掠夺性鱼类（例如组人和金枪鱼）的种群大小也大大减少，但对于其中一些物种的下降和灭绝的风险知之甚少。该项目使用研究良好的相关物种的进化历史来估计渔业较少物种的基本人口特性和保护重要性。这些知识为指导管理工作提供了重要的信息，例如对捕捞和贸易的限制，直到可以进行更直接的研究为止。研究人员还将针对本科生和公众的海洋生物多样性科学进行数学生物学的教育宣传。科学家经常对许多相关鱼类的生殖行为，寿命和代谢率等单个特征有一些了解，即使没有人口级别的信息。进化论可以预测各组的这些独特特征组合的共同发展。该理论可用于推断人口统计率和项目物种的地位，但以前的努力并未纳入每个物种的生物学的独特细节。该项目将开发全面的理论，将这些特征的演变与金枪鱼，分组者以及鲨鱼和射线的物种状态预测联系起来。现代的统计方法将允许来自具有正式评估的数据富含数据模型的信息，并可以与相似栖息地或亲戚的研究良好的物种共享。有了对人口轨迹的新理解，该团队将提出建议，以供国际自然保护联盟以及经理和科学家等组织使用。