NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for FY 2012 in Taiwan

Stevens Julia L, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Julia L. Stevens of The University of Alabama to conduct a research project, entitled "Biogeography of a marine invasion: Comparison of the red lionfish between the native Indo-Pacific and invaded Atlantic regions," during the summer of 2012 at The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung, Taiwan. The host scientist is Chih-Wei Chang. The Intellectual Merit of the research project is as follows: For the last 25 years, the U.S. Atlantic Coast and the Caribbean Sea have experienced rapid population growth and dispersal of the invasive red lionfish, a venomous fish native to Indo-Pacific waters. Research on the impacts of lionfish on Atlantic and Caribbean reefs has highlighted the urgent need for additional studies on both this invasion and the invader. However, the paucity of research on the ecology of lionfish in their native range remains apparent, and without understanding their ecology in the Indo-Pacific it is impossible to determine what makes this species such a successful invader in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Specifically, this research aims to assess the bacterial communities associated with the external surfaces of lionfish. By examining this host-microbial relationship, a more thorough knowledge of the host organism can be obtained. The objectives of the research in Taiwan are twofold: first, record behavioral and density observations of lionfish on coral reefs in their native range., and second, analyze the bacterial communities associated with the external surfaces of lionfish in their native range. Broader Impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce.