School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
Ann Rev Mar Sci. 2009;1:193-212. doi: 10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163708.
Chemical cues constitute much of the language of life in the sea. Our understanding of biotic interactions and their effects on marine ecosystems will advance more rapidly if this language is studied and understood. Here, I review how chemical cues regulate critical aspects of the behavior of marine organisms from bacteria to phytoplankton to benthic invertebrates and water column fishes. These chemically mediated interactions strongly affect population structure, community organization, and ecosystem function. Chemical cues determine foraging strategies, feeding choices, commensal associations, selection of mates and habitats, competitive interactions, and transfer of energy and nutrients within and among ecosystems. In numerous cases, the indirect effects of chemical signals on behavior have as much or more effect on community structure and function as the direct effects of consumers and pathogens. Chemical cues are critical for understanding marine systems, but their omnipresence and impact are inadequately recognized.
化学线索构成了海洋生命语言的大部分。如果对这些语言进行研究和理解，我们对生物相互作用及其对海洋生态系统的影响的理解将更快地推进。在这里，我回顾了化学线索如何调节从细菌到浮游植物到底栖无脊椎动物和水层鱼类等海洋生物的关键行为方面。这些化学介导的相互作用强烈影响种群结构、群落组织和生态系统功能。化学线索决定了觅食策略、摄食选择、共生关系、配偶和栖息地的选择、竞争相互作用以及能量和营养物质在生态系统内部和之间的传递。在许多情况下，化学信号对行为的间接影响对群落结构和功能的影响与消费者和病原体的直接影响一样大，甚至更大。化学线索对于理解海洋系统至关重要，但它们的普遍存在和影响尚未得到充分认识。
