Collaborative Research: Orientation of elongate diatoms as a strategy for light harvesting

GSTDTAP

项目编号	1657314
	Collaborative Research: Orientation of elongate diatoms as a strategy for light harvesting
	Jan Rines
主持机构	University of Rhode Island
项目开始年	2017
	2017-04-01
项目结束日期	2020-03-31
资助机构	US-NSF
项目类别	Standard Grant
项目经费	318001(USD)
国家	美国
语种	英语
英文摘要	Phytoplankton have an intimate connection to the hydrodynamic environment in which they live. Previous studies have examined the role that turbulence and shear play in nutrient uptake, patch/layer formation, and predator-prey encounters, but the role of phytoplankton orientation to increase light capture (and ultimately primary production) has been largely overlooked. Compelling evidence of persistent horizontal orientation of chain-forming diatoms, obtained from novel in situ holographic imaging, has led to a hypothesis that in regions of strong stratification, shear flows will lead to systematic horizontal orientation of elongate phytoplankton forms that maximizes their cross-sectional area (and light capture) in the ambient downwelling light field. It has also been suggested that variations in phytoplankton size and shape are fundamental traits conferring selective competitive advantages in certain hydrodynamic environments, thus modifying/mediating community composition. The interdisciplinary research of this project crosses three scientific disciplines (biology, optics and fluid dynamics) and will advance our understanding of the function of diverse forms of phytoplankton, their interactions with fluid flows, and the resultant impacts on the optics of the environment. The project will support a number of undergraduate and graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers. This project combines analysis of previously collected field data with laboratory experiments and modeling. For the field data analysis, phytoplankton orientation is quantified from in situ holographic images of the undisturbed water column along with concurrent high resolution measurements of critical physical (turbulence/shear/stratification) and optical parameters collected from a ship-based holographic bio-physics profiler. In the laboratory, the orientation response of different phytoplankton species and morphologies is evaluated in custom built shear tanks under controlled laminar and turbulent conditions to confirm that elongate forms can orient in certain hydrodynamic environments to maximize light capture. In addition, controlled growth/physiology experiments in various shear tank treatments will explore the effects of orientation on growth, photosynthetic parameters and productivity. Lastly, the project results will be incorporated into a global analysis of observed and modeled physical, bio-optical and ecologically-relevant parameters, to quantify the relevance of this phenomenon to primary production and the carbon cycle.
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/70941
专题	环境与发展全球科技态势
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Jan Rines.Collaborative Research: Orientation of elongate diatoms as a strategy for light harvesting.2017.