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PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

Project Information Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) Synthesis Renewal Proposal Principal Investigator Amount Requested: $500,000 Ann Bucklin Department of Marine Sciences University of Connecticut 1080 Shennecossett Rd, Groton, CT 06340 Tel. 860-405-9208; http://www.cmarz.org Email: ann.bucklin@uconn.edu

Requested Start Date: November 1, 2009 Requested End Date: December 31, 2010

Project Goal The CMarZ goal is to produce a global assessment of holozooplankton species diversity, biomass, biogeographic distribution, and genetic diversity by 2010, focusing on the ~7,000 described species of animals that drift with ocean currents throughout their lives. . Objectives CMarZ objectives are to carry out a comprehensive biodiversity survey, focusing on the deep sea, under-sampled regions, and biodiversity hotspots, using an integrated morphological and molecular (DNA barcodes) approach to analysis and assessment. Education, professional training, and capacity-building efforts will increase the number of taxonomic experts. The CMarZ database contains species-level, specimen-based, geo-referenced entries; data and information are accessed via the CMarZ and CMarZ-Asia websites, as well as the Ocean Biogeographical Information System (OBIS). Proposed Activities CMarZ will complete laboratory and field analyses by the end of 2009. During 2010, meetings of the CMarZ Synthesis Leadership Team and Synthesis Working Groups will be held to ensure implementation of the CMarZ Synthesis Plan. Data and information from all CMarZ field, lab, and web activities will inform a new global view of pelagic biodiversity and biogeography. Expected Products CMarZ Synthesis products include publications (e.g., books, journal special issues, popular articles, and posters); open-access image galleries of living zooplankton; web-based reference materials for taxonomic identifications; new deep-sea sampling technologies; ship-board DNA sequencing during oceanographic research cruises; taxonomically- and geographically-comprehensive gold-standard DNA barcode database; and globally-integrated web-accessible biodiversity database for marine holozooplankton. Expected Outcomes CMarZ will produce a new global view of zooplankton biodiversity (including numbers of species and their biogeographical distributions, abundance or biomass, and genetic diversity) and an estimate of the completeness of our knowledge. Other expected outcomes are: improved public appreciation for marine biodiversity (especially small organisms); and new scientific approaches to characterizing species diversity through fully-integrated morphological and molecular taxonomic analysis.

http://www.sloan.org/http://www.sloan.org/apply/page/5http://www.cmarz.org/mailto:ann.bucklin@uconn.edu

TABLE of CONTENTS 1. The Context 1

A. Overarching project goals and scope B. Scientific questions; Methods; Limits to knowledge C. Notable accomplishments

2. The Project. 6 A. Conclusion of activities in the field B. Conclusion of activities in the laboratory

3. Project Milestones and Outcomes.. 8 4. Project Management... 8

A. CMarZ management plan B. People and their management responsibilities

5. Data and Information Management.... 9 A. CMarZ database B. CMarZ website C. OBIS interoperability D. Long-term plans to maintain project database/data accessibility

6. Synthesis.... 11 A. CMarZ Synthesis Plan; People and their Synthesis Responsibilities B. Toward a global view of pelagic biodiversity and biogeography C. CMarZ contributions to CoML and NRIC Synthesis D. Contributions to Cross-Project Synthesis activities E. CMarZ Synthesis products F. Collaboration with CoML Mapping & Visualization (M&V) Team G. Contributions to CoML October 2010 Finale

7. Education & Outreach (E&O).... 16 A. Recent E&O success stories B. Planned E&O outputs

8. Legacies & Partnerships..... 18 A. Contribution to CoML legacies B. CMarZ partnerships C. CMarZ applications D. Capacity building

9. Literature Cited....... 21 10. Budgets and Budget Explanations for 2009 and 2010 APPENDICES Note: All Activities are reported for 2006-2009; see http://www.cmarz.org for full listings. I. CMarZ Synthesis Plan A1 II. Matching Financial Contributions and Ship-time Support.. A10 III. CMarZ Peer-Reviewed Publications.. A11 IV. CMarZ Presentations and Abstracts... A17 V. CMarZ Education & Outreach Activities A22 VI. CMarZ Cruises... A28 VII. CMarZ Steering Group Members. A33 VIII. Lead Investigators CVs (Bucklin, Nishida, Schiel, Wiebe)............................... A34

http://www.cmarz.org/

Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) Synthesis Renewal Proposal (2009 2010) Page 1

1. The Context

1A. Overarching Project Goals and Scope

The CMarZ goal is to produce accurate and complete information on species diversity, biomass,

biogeographic distribution, and genetic diversity by 2010, focusing on the ~6,800 described

species of animals that drift with ocean currents throughout their lives (i.e., the holozooplankton).

CMarZ efforts will result in a baseline summary of current knowledge of global biodiversity of

zooplankton (including numbers of species and their biogeographical distributions, abundance or

biomass, and genetic diversity) and an estimate of the completeness of our knowledge. The

global census of marine zooplankton entails use of existing data and zooplankton collections,

sampling from ships of opportunity, and dedicated cruises. The major focus is on under-sampled

regions and biodiversity hotspots, where prospects for species discovery are highest. Molecular

systematic assessment of species using DNA barcodes (i.e., short DNA sequences for species

recognition) is a critical component of CMarZ, contributing toward the CMarZ goal of accurate

estimation of species diversity. Education, professional training, and capacity-building are

important objectives for CMarZ, since taxonomic experts for holozooplankton groups are in

critically short supply. A distributed database has been developed for species-level, specimen-

based, geo-referenced entries; CMarZ data will be fully accessible via the Ocean

Biogeographical Information System (OBIS). CMarZ is committed to the generation of new

sampling technologies, new analytical tools, and new global-scale understanding by 2010.

1B. Scientific Questions; Methods; Limits to Knowledge

Scientific questions: CMarZ seeks to answer the overarching question: What are the patterns of

zooplankton biodiversity throughout the world ocean, and how are they generated and

maintained? The CMarZ Science Plan (CMarZ 2004) provides more background on the

Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) Synthesis Renewal Proposal (2009 2010) Page 2

hypotheses that guide the design, development, and implementation of CMarZ, including:

Zooplankton biodiversity differs among biogeographical regimes

and provinces, and is related to ecosystem stability and

productivity.

Genetic continuity is more extensive in deep-sea than in surface-

dwelling zooplankton species.

Environmental heterogeneity increases the frequency of endemic

and cryptic species.

Natural and anthropogenic changes are decreasing endemism and

altering biogeographical distributions of marine zooplankton.

Methods: Specimens have been collected by nets, pumps, water bottles,

sediment traps, light traps, remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs),

submersibles, and divers. Traditional morphologically-based taxonomic

analysis of zooplankton samples has remained a central component in the

processing of new and existing collections of zooplankton (see e.g., Harris

et al. 2000). Samples have been analyzed for biomass (bulk and taxon-

specific), functional groups, size spectra, and species diversity and

abundance. Molecular analysis includes DNA barcoding of identified

specimens and community metagenomic analysis of bulk samples. CMarZ

has carried out comprehensive biodiversity surveys using at-sea

taxonomic analysis and DNA barcoding (Fig. 1; Wiebe et al. in review). A particular focus for

CMarZ has been collections from the deep sea (1,000 5,000 m) using specially-rigged trawls

with fine mesh (333m) plankton nets (Fig. 2; Wiebe et al. in review). Field observations have

Figure 1. Sample analysis at sea for CMarZ (top to bottom): taxonomic identification, live photography, PCR, DNA sequencing, and data analysis.

Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) Synthesis Renewal Proposal (2009 2010) Page 3

included blue-water diving, and optical (still, video,

holographic imagery) and acoustical approaches.

Limits to Knowledge: Our current understanding of

global patterns of pelagic biodiversity results from

decades of work by oceanographers, ecologists, and

taxonomists. Our knowledge is most complete for those

species inhabiting the upper 100-200 m of the oceans,

for crustaceans and other groups that generally remain

intact through collection by plankton nets and preservation in formaldehyde, and for coastal

waters and the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of developed nations. Compared to the

dimensions of the known in terms of numbers of species and regions of the world oceans the

unknown is thought to be many times larger than the known. Until recently, some pelagic taxa

(e.g., foraminifers, copepods, euphausiids,