REU:  Episodic Winterkill, Pulsed Predation, and the        Structure of Benthic Assemblages in Lentic Aquatic Ecosytems
{'Code': '08010208', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Lindsay Fox', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Infrequent, episodic stress can have long-term effects on               ecological communities.  In shallow ponds or lakes, episodic                    winter hypoxia (low oxygen) can affect benthic invertebrate                     communities, either through direct mortality, or by promoting                   pulses of fish predation.  In such waters, benthic areas become                 hypoxic while adequate oxygen often remains near the ice-water                  interface.  To persist, benthic taxa must tolerate low oxygen or                migrate to regions with adequate oxygen.  However, behaviors such               as increased activity or movement toward the ice-water interface                that are adaptive in avoiding low oxygen conditions would be                    maladaptive in avoiding fish predation.  Although avoidance of                  low oxygen and behavioral changes in the presence of fish have                  been documented separately, no one has examined how invertebrates               balance these conflicting demands.                                                      This research will examine the interaction of an abiotic                stress (winter hypoxia) and a biotic factor (fish predation) in                 structuring benthic invertebrate assemblages.  In laboratory                    experiments, the ability of benthic invertebrates to balance the                conflicting demands of avoiding both hypoxia and fish predation                 will be examined.  Taxa will be ranked according to their                       vulnerability to fish predation as the benthic environment                      becomes hypoxic.  These predictions will then be tested in                      outdoor ponds where hypoxia of the benthic region will be                       manipulated.  The behavioral response of benthic invertebrates to               developing hypoxia in ponds with and without fish will be                       monitored using an underwater video camera.  To determine if                    laboratory rankings of species' vulnerability are observed in the               field, fish diets will be be quantified before, during, and after               the benthic zone becomes hypoxic.  Abundance of invertebrate taxa               before and after benthic hypoxia will allow us to determine the                 effect of winter hypoxia alone and in combination with fish                     predation in structuring benthic invertebrate assemblages.
{'FirstName': 'Frank', 'LastName': 'Rahel', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'J', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Frank J Rahel', 'EmailAddress': None, 'NSF_ID': '000282318', 'StartDate': '10/15/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'University of Wyoming', 'CityName': 'LARAMIE', 'ZipCode': '820712000', 'PhoneNumber': '3077665320', 'StreetAddress': '1000 E UNIVERSITY AVE', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Wyoming', 'StateCode': 'WY', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '00', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'WY00', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'FDR5YF2K32X5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': 'FDR5YF2K32X5'}
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[{'Code': '1128', 'Text': 'Population & Community Ecology'}, {'Code': '1129', 'Text': 'LONG-TERM PROJCTS IN ENVIR BIO'}, {'Code': '9145', 'Text': 'SPECIAL PROGRAMS-RESERVE'}]
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8807200.xml'}