Effects of variability in food quantity and quality on the feeding, growth, and condition of larval fish under natural field conditions.

自然田间条件下食物数量和质量的变化对幼鱼摄食、生长和状况的影响。

• 批准号: 216861-2013
• 负责人: Dower, John
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=570050
• 关键词: Effects; variability; food; quantity; quality

It has long been believed that the amount of food encountered by larval fish determines their survival in the ocean, and that year-to-year variations in the amount of food available thus lead to year-to-year variations in year-class strength in fish populations. Although supported by lab experiments, convincing evidence for this relationship under field conditions is surprisingly rare. Recently, research has shown that variations in food quality (as opposed to quantity) may also play a significant role in the growth and survival of plankton. However, very little is currently known about whether natural variations in food quality also affect the growth and survival of larval fish. This project aims to test this possibility by conducting field work that will compare the effects of food availability and food quality on the growth rates of larval fish and on various measures of their "condition", or health, under natural conditions. We will also explore the extent to which larval fish may feed upon protozoans - a group of tiny soft-bodied plankton that are not usually considered in studies of larval fish feeding (as they are rapidly digested and hard to identify), but which may be an important prey source nonetheless. Research will be conducted in coastal Newfoundland and in the Strait of Georgia. Together, these two lines of research will advance our understanding of the factors that contribute to yearly variations in marine fish growth and survival, and how future changes in ocean climate may affect energy flow from lower to higher trophic levels in marine ecosystems.

长期以来，人们一直认为，幼鱼所遇到的食物量决定了它们在海洋中的生存，并且可用食物量的逐年变化导致了幼鱼的年级强度的逐年变化。鱼类种群。 尽管得到了实验室实验的支持，但在现场条件下证明这种关系的令人信服的证据却非常罕见。 最近的研究表明，食物质量（而不是数量）的变化也可能对浮游生物的生长和生存发挥重要作用。 然而，目前人们对食品质量的自然变化是否也会影响幼鱼的生长和生存知之甚少。 该项目旨在通过开展实地工作来测试这种可能性，该工作将比较粮食供应和食品质量对幼鱼生长速度及其在自然条件下的“状况”或健康的各种衡量标准的影响。 我们还将探讨幼鱼以原生动物为食的程度，原生动物是一群微小的软体浮游生物，在幼鱼进食的研究中通常不考虑它们（因为它们被快速消化且难以识别），但它们可能是尽管如此，它仍然是一个重要的猎物来源。 研究将在纽芬兰沿海和乔治亚海峡进行。 这两方面的研究将共同​​促进我们对导致海洋鱼类生长和生存的年度变化的因素的理解，以及海洋气候的未来变化如何影响海洋生态系统中从低营养级到高营养级的能量流动。