Interactive and Non-Linear Effects of Predation, Intraspeci-fic Competition and Environmental Variation Upon Species    Persistence in Marine Soft-Bottom Communities
{'Code': '06040301', 'Directorate': {'LongName': 'Directorate For Geosciences'}, 'Division': {'LongName': 'Division Of Ocean Sciences'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Emma R. Dieter'}
Scientists in the field of marine ecology have long sought              to understand the complex interactions that occur between various               organisms in a natural community, and how the physical aspects of               their environment influence such important ecological parameters                as survival, reproduction, the introduction of new individuals                  into a population, and the maintenance of population sizes.  Much               has been learned about the direct effects of one organisms on the               population of another (e.g., a predator on a prey species, or a                 superior competitor on another living thing sharing the same                    habitat).  More complex indirect effects are still not well                     understood nor predictable, yet these types of interactions can                 have dramatic controlling influences on the dynamics and                        maintenance of natural populations.  For example, estuarine                     animals that rely on planktonic larvae to sustain populations can               be drastically impacted by offshore changes in predatory fishes                 that control larval abundance.                                                          Dr. Lipcius is a young ecologist who has already exhibited              great productivity and innovation in his research, much of it                   dealing with important resources species (lobsters and crabs).                          Dr. Lipcius has proposed a sophisticated investigation of               such complex, higher-order interactions that work to control                    animal populations in coastal estuaries.  The animals he will                   study include some very important commercial species; the blue                  crab, the soft-shelled clam, and the littleneck clam.  This                     research should not only provide some needed data to test new                   theory on the organization of natural communities via higher-                   order interactions, but it will also yield some important                       ecological information useful in the management of valuable                     fisheries resources.
{'FirstName': 'Romuald', 'LastName': 'Lipcius', 'EmailAddress': 'rom@vims.edu', 'StartDate': '04/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Chesapeake Research Consortium Inc', 'CityName': 'Edgewater', 'ZipCode': '210373702', 'PhoneNumber': '4107981283', 'StreetAddress': '645 Contees Wharf Road', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Maryland', 'StateCode': 'MD'}
[{'Code': '1650', 'Text': 'BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY'}, {'Code': '9120', 'Text': 'CROSS-DIRECTORATE PROGRAMS'}]
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8700414.xml'}