NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Chironomid Bioturbation at Future High Temperature Scenarios and its Effect on Nutrient Fluxes and Bacterial Activity

NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：未来高温场景下的摇蚊生物扰动及其对营养通量和细菌活性的影响

• 批准号: 2305738
• 负责人: Roberto Reyes Maldonado
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: Reyes Maldonado, Roberto
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2026-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2305738&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; Chironomid

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Chironomid larvae are aquatic insects that play an important role in mixing and disturbing benthic sediments in a process called bioturbation. Chironomids are known for their ventilation activities, an action that promotes oxygenation, nutrient flux, and bacterial activity in sediments. There is a lack of understanding about how chironomid bioturbation mediated processes will be affected under climate change scenarios. This should be addressed to anticipate how bioturbation induced processes would affect the balance of freshwater ecosystems in a warmer environment. This project will use an urban aquatic environment as a climate change surrogate scenario to determine the effect of high temperatures on the bioturbation behavior of chironomids and their influence on nutrient cycling and bacterial activity. Determining this will help to propose mitigation and management activities for freshwater ecosystems in the future, especially for tropical ecosystems where processes might be more sensitive to small changes in temperature. This research will also provide training opportunities to underrepresented individuals to encourage them to pursue a career in aquatic ecology or any other related field.The objective of this project will be achieved by studying microcosms maintained with the sediments and the environmental conditions of an urban stream with records of high temperature fluctuations in Puerto Rico. First, the Fellow will integrate flow velocity microelectrodes, conductivity, and color tracer techniques to determine if chironomid ventilations are affected by temperature; then, sediment core incubations will be used to determine if the effects of bioturbation on nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon fluxes are temperature-independent; and last, molecular techniques will be used to determine how bioturbation-induced microbial activity and community composition are influenced by warm temperatures. Through the completion of this project, the Fellow will gain experience as an independent researcher, but will also promote broadening participation and inclusion in biology by providing lectures and mentoring opportunities to students and teachers in Puerto Rico. The Fellow will focus on training interested individuals in field and laboratory techniques, critical thinking, and communication skills so that they can be prepared when venturing into any scientific field in the future.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.

该行动资助 2023 财年 NSF 生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。该奖学金支持该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。摇蚊幼虫是水生昆虫，在生物扰动过程中混合和干扰底栖沉积物中发挥着重要作用。摇蚊以其通风活动而闻名，这种活动可以促进沉积物中的氧合作用、营养物质流动和细菌活动。人们对摇蚊生物扰动介导的过程在气候变化情景下将如何受到影响缺乏了解。应该解决这个问题，以预测生物扰动引起的过程将如何影响温暖环境中淡水生态系统的平衡。该项目将利用城市水生环境作为气候变化替代情景，以确定高温对摇蚊生物扰动行为的影响及其对营养循环和细菌活动的影响。确定这一点将有助于提出未来淡水生态系统的缓解和管理活动，特别是对于热带生态系统，其过程可能对温度的微小变化更加敏感。这项研究还将为代表性不足的个人提供培训机会，鼓励他们从事水生生态或任何其他相关领域的职业。该项目的目标将通过研究由沉积物维持的微观世界和城市河流的环境条件来实现波多黎各的高温波动记录。首先，该研究员将整合流速微电极、电导率和颜色示踪技术，以确定摇蚊通气是否受到温度的影响；然后，沉积物核心孵化将用于确定生物扰动对氮、磷和碳通量的影响是否与温度无关；最后，分子技术将用于确定生物扰动引起的微生物活动和群落组成如何受到温暖的影响。通过完成该项目，该研究员将获得作为独立研究人员的经验，但还将通过为波多黎各的学生和教师提供讲座和指导机会来促进扩大生物学的参与和包容性。该研究员将重点培训对现场和实验室技术、批判性思维和沟通技巧感兴趣的个人，以便他们在未来进入任何科学领域时做好准备。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得通过以下方式获得支持：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。