Quantifying bivalve calcification dynamics through early life ontogeny

GSTDTAP

项目编号	1521633
	Quantifying bivalve calcification dynamics through early life ontogeny
	Annaliese Hettinger
主持机构	Hettinger Annaliese
项目开始年	2015
	2015-08-01
项目结束日期	2017-07-31
资助机构	US-NSF
项目类别	Fellowship
项目经费	174000(USD)
国家	美国
语种	英语
英文摘要	Bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels) provide vital ecosystem services through habitat formation, water filtration, and food supply, but have suffered population reductions from a combination of overharvesting, disease, habitat degradation, and ocean acidification (OA). Further population declines could lead to habitat restructuring, changes in food webs, and losses of marine resources for human society. Recent studies of the California Current Ecosystem highlight that rapid OA of coastal waters is occurring in some regions of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and this is predicted to cause irreversible losses to natural marine resources of commercial, recreational, and cultural importance, like bivalves. The causes of bivalve sensitivity to OA have not been fully described, but young bivalves (larvae) appear to be more vulnerable to OA than adults. This work will advance our understanding of calcification in bivalve larvae, an essential process that will ultimately determine whether bivalves thrive in future ocean conditions. In addition,the PI's research activities incorporate mentoring opportunities to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM education. She will work with the established OSU program FIESTAS (Families Involved in Education Sociocultural Teaching and STEM) to develop national ocean literacy initiatives in local school classrooms with specific focus on enhancing knowledge of Latino and under-represented youth. She will also mentor undergraduates who will be working in the OSU research labs. Ocean acidification (OA) has emerged as a critical stressor for coastal ecosystem function, and is predicted to cause irreversible losses to natural marine resources of commercial, recreational, and cultural importance. The emerging and significant concern for marine ecosystems is rooted in the growing body of literature that documents negative effects of OA either directly or in conjunction with other environmental factors, such as temperature. However, the specific mechanisms that cause sensitivity of organisms to OA have not been fully described. We know that bivalves show particular sensitivity to OA and early life stages are more vulnerable than adults. Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain early life stage vulnerability to OA, but few have been tested rigorously at the earliest stages of development. This research will address the role of organic-inorganic interactions during calcification in early larval life by (1) quantifying ontogenetic changes in shell carbon balance and (2) measuring those differences across a gradient of marine carbonate chemistry. This work will determine the distinct role of the larval shell organic matrix in exceedingly rapid calcification at this hyper-critical life stage. The outcomes of this research will transform our understanding of calcification and allow for well-parameterized predictions of the future of calcifying organisms in a globally-changed ocean. A highly interdisciplinary approach will be applied to address mechanisms of initial shell formation in larval bivalves. Scientific advancements resulting from this work will include: (1) a comprehensive description of the interaction between organic matrix and inorganic larval shell components and (2) evidence for how rapid shell formation occurs in larval bivalves. This work will generate new testable hypotheses to advance our understanding of calcification mechanisms in larval bivalves, an uncharacterized but vital process that will ultimately determine whether bivalves thrive in future ocean conditions.
来源学科分类	Geosciences - Ocean Sciences
文献类型	项目
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/68337
专题	环境与发展全球科技态势
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Annaliese Hettinger.Quantifying bivalve calcification dynamics through early life ontogeny.2015.