CAREER: Temperature and microplastic effects on coral physiology and reproduction

职业：温度和微塑料对珊瑚生理和繁殖的影响

• 批准号: 2044840
• 负责人: Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino
• 金额: $ 123.77万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-12-01 至 2026-11-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2044840&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Temperature; microplastic; effects; coral

This project involves research on the biological impacts of climate change and plastic pollution in one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. At present, limited information exists on the abundance and distribution of microplastics (plastic particles 5 mm) in tropical systems. This research examines microplastics abundance and chemical identity in Hawaiian coral reefs using samples from water, sediments, and coral tissue. Multiple stressor experiments are providing key insights on the reproduction and the long-term effects of microplastics in corals with a compromised health state (bleached). The experiments address controversial findings in this emerging field such as how corals are more affected by plasticizers and what microplastic types are “tastier.” Understanding if and what type of microplastics can interfere with biological processes in corals helps to elucidate the extent to which microplastics cause metabolic disorders and influence the survival and recruitment of future generations. When used in the context of global change, these data are critical for predicting the potential impact of these combined stressors on future corals and coral reefs. This project creates and an integrated program that promotes citizen science, middle-school student engagement and ocean literacy and research for schoolteachers from Hawaiian immersion schools. The foundational insights gained through the research objectives improve our capacity to predict the response of coral communities to thermal bleaching events and microplastic pollution and can be applied to conservation and management efforts. Climate change and pollution are major drivers in the degradation of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Around 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year and the majority of plastic items currently found in the ocean are microplastics. Recent evidence suggests that microplastic pollution can negatively affect corals. However, little is known about the abundance, exposure and risk of microplastics in coral reefs or whether microplastics will increase the vulnerability of corals to climate change. The research objectives are to: (i) Assess if and how temperature and microplastics (plastic particles 5 mm) affect coral gametogenesis, fecundity and physiological performance with both field and laboratory studies, (ii) Quantify if bleached corals are more likely to ingest microplastics due to heterotrophic plasticity, (iii) Examine the physiological effects of microplastics exposure in corals under thermal stress and during recovery after bleaching, and (iii) Understand the mechanisms by which microplastics exposure may impact spawning synchrony and gamete viability. The proposed education program is integrated with the research program by (i) designing a citizen science project to quantify and collect plastic data in Hawaiian beaches, (ii) providing research opportunities to middle-school students from low-income schools to gain first-hand field and research experience and (iii) developing a workshop for Hawaiian teachers using the bilingual NSF-LTER children’s book as a research and educational platform.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目涉及地球上最多样化和生产力最高的生态系统之一的气候变化和塑料污染的生物影响研究，目前有关热带系统中微塑料（塑料颗粒 5 毫米）的丰度和分布的信息有限。使用水、沉积物和珊瑚组织的样本检查夏威夷珊瑚礁中的微塑料丰度和化学特性，多项应激实验为健康状况受损（白化）的珊瑚的繁殖和长期影响提供了重要见解。这些实验解决了这个新兴领域有争议的发现，例如珊瑚如何更容易受到增塑剂的影响以及哪些微塑料类型“更美味”。了解微塑料是否以及什么类型会干扰珊瑚的生物过程有助于阐明微塑料造成的程度。当在全球变化的背景下使用时，这些数据对于预测这些综合压力源对未来珊瑚和珊瑚礁的潜在影响至关重要。公民科学、中学生参与和海洋素养以及夏威夷浸入式学校教师的研究通过研究目标获得的基本见解提高了我们预测珊瑚群落对热漂白事件和微塑料污染的反应的能力，并可应用于气候变化和污染是全球珊瑚礁生态系统退化的主要驱动因素，每年约有 800 万吨塑料最终进入海洋，而目前在海洋中发现的大多数塑料制品都是微塑料。表明微塑料然而，人们对珊瑚礁中微塑料的丰度、暴露程度和风险以及微塑料是否会增加珊瑚对气候变化的脆弱性知之甚少。通过现场和实验室研究，微塑料（塑料颗粒 5 毫米）影响珊瑚配子发生、繁殖力和生理性能，(ii) 量化白化珊瑚是否因异养可塑性而更有可能摄入微塑料， (iii) 检查微塑料暴露对珊瑚在热应激下和白化后恢复期间的生理影响，以及 (iii) 了解微塑料暴露可能影响产卵同步性和配子活力的机制 拟议的教育计划与研究计划相结合。通过（i）设计一个公民科学项目来量化和收集夏威夷海滩的塑料数据，（ii）为低收入学校的中学生提供研究机会，以获得第一手的现场和研究经验，以及（iii）开发夏威夷教师研讨会使用双语 NSF-LTER 儿童读物作为研究和教育平台。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Ocean acidification does not overlook sex: Review of understudied effects and implications of low pH on marine invertebrate sexual reproduction

海洋酸化并不能忽视性：低pH值对海洋无脊椎动物有性生殖的影响和影响的回顾

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.977754
• 发表时间: 2022-10
• 期刊: Frontiers in Marine Science
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Padilla;Alma, Lindsay;Spencer, Laura H.;Venkataraman, Yaamini R.;Wessler, Leah
• 通讯作者: Wessler, Leah

Lethal and sublethal effects of thermal stress on octocorals early life‐history stages

热应激对八珊瑚早期生命历史阶段的致死和亚致死影响

• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16433
• 发表时间: 2022-12
• 期刊: Global Change Biology
• 影响因子: 11.6
• 作者: Viladrich, Núria;Linares, Cristina;Padilla‐Gamiño, Jacqueline L.
• 通讯作者: Padilla‐Gamiño, Jacqueline L.