Trophic Ecology of the Antarctic Nearshore Zone

Project Objectives1) To describe trophic relationships in near shore marine benthic ecosystems of East Antarctica and determine the importance of environmental forces (such as sea ice and primary production) to the structure of food webs and biological interactions in benthic assemblages.2) To determine how marine benthic food webs in East Antarctica respond to local scale disturbances (such as sewage outfalls and abandoned waste disposal sites) and develop predictive models of the influence of local human activities on trophic relationships.3) To develop predictive models for the potential effects of global climate change on the trophic structure and function of near shore marine benthic assemblages and determine the sensitivity of Antarctic near shore ecosystems as sentinels of climate change.4) To measure toxicity of organic contaminants to Antarctic marine benthic invertebrates, determine concentrations in upper trophic level fauna and to model the risk of bioaccumulation of organic contaminants (from local and global sources) in near shore marine benthic food webs in East Antarctica.Collections of organisms from coastal ecosystems around Casey and Davis stations were made between 2006/07 and 2010/11. These samples have been used in a variety of ways to examine trophic interactions in Antarctic coastal ecosystems. Methods include stable isotope analysis, diet and gut contents DNA analysis, analysis of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) and the impacts of local disturbances on food webs.

项目目标：1) 阐明东南极洲近岸海洋底栖生态系统的营养关系，明确海冰、初级生产力等环境驱动力对底栖群落食物网结构与生物相互作用的重要性。2) 探明东南极洲海洋底栖食物网对排污口、废弃废弃物处置场等局尺度扰动的响应规律，并构建当地人类活动对营养关系影响的预测模型。3) 开发全球气候变化对东南极洲近岸海洋底栖群落营养结构与功能潜在影响的预测模型，明确南极近岸生态系统作为气候变化哨兵的敏感性。4) 测定有机污染物对南极海洋底栖无脊椎动物的毒性，确定高营养级动物体内的污染物浓度，并模拟本地及全球来源的有机污染物在东南极洲近岸海洋底栖食物网中的生物富集风险。2006/07至2010/11年间，研究人员在凯西站（Casey）与戴维斯站（Davis）周边沿岸生态系统采集了生物样本。上述样本已被广泛应用于南极沿岸生态系统营养相互作用的相关研究，所用方法包括稳定同位素分析、食性与肠道内容物DNA分析、持久性有机污染物（POPs, Persistent Organic Pollutants）分析，以及局尺度扰动对食物网的影响研究。