BERTIN, M.J.*; POMPONI, S.A.; ELLINGTON, W.R.; Florida St. Univ., Tallahassee; HBOI, Fort Pierce, FL; Florida St. Univ., Tallahassee: Creatine and Arginine Kinases are Widespread in the Porifera Creatine kinase (CK) and arginine kinase (AK) are expressed in cells that display high and variable rates of ATP turnover and belong to a highly conserved family of […]

LAPID, E.; CHADWICK, N. E. *; Bar Ilan University; Auburn University : Coral sweeper tentacles as probes to remotely detect competitors Inducible elongated tentacles in sea anemones (catch tentacles, fighting tentacles) and corals (sweeper tentacles) have been proposed to function in prey capture, sexual reproduction, and damage to competitors. We add here a possible function […]

TRESPALACIOS, D.*; BEULIG, A.; New College of Florida; New College of Florida: Coral Luminescent Banding as Environmental Indicator in Bocas del Toro, Panama Coral luminescent banding is explored as a potential environmental indicator in the region of Bocas del Toro, Panama. The luminescent banding pattern in two specimens of Porites astreoides taken from Almirante Bay […]

QUINN, NJ*; KOJIS, BL; Univ. of West Indies, Discovery Bay Marine Lab, Jamaica; Division of Fish & Wildlife, St. Thomas, US Virgin Is: Assessing Enhancement Techniques to Increase Acropora cervicornis Populations and Increase Fish Biodiversity in Jamaica Shallow water Acropora species were nearly extirpated on Jamaican reefs in the late 1970�s and early 1980�s where […]

Meeting Abstract 51.2  Jan. 6  Microbial Experimental Evolution in the Bobtail Squid-Vibrio Model System SOTO, W.*; NISHIGUCHI, M.K.; New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces; New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces wisoto@nmsu.edu The mutualism between sepiolid squids (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae) and their bioluminescent symbionts (Genus Vibrio) has become an experimentally tractable system for physiological, evolutionary, molecular, and ecological studies […]

Meeting Abstract 51.1  Jan. 6  Life in a fly: Exploring a variable endosymbiont environment ESTES, Anne M. *; BRONSTEIN, Judith L.; PIERSON, Elizabeth A.; Univ. of Arizona; Univ. of Arizona; Univ. of Arizona amestes@u.arizona.edu Our understanding of insect-bacterial symbioses stems from systems in which the endosymbiont experiences low variability in morphological and nutritional host environment. Holometabolous insect […]

Meeting Abstract 51.4  Jan. 6  Functional algal nuclear genes are present in a sea slug genome–horizontal gene transfer demonstrated. PIERCE, S. K. **; CURTIS, N. E.; SCHWARTZ, J. A; MASSEY, S. E.; University of South Florida, Tampa pierce@cas.usf.edu The digestive cells of the sacoglossan sea slug, Elysia chlorotica (Gould), harbor intracellular, symbiotic chloroplasts captured from the alga, […]

Meeting Abstract 51.2  Saturday, Jan. 5  Using fiddler crabs to investigate the relationship between morphological variation and geographic range HOPKINS, M.J.*; THURMAN, C.L.; University of Chicago; University of Northern Iowa mjh@uchicago.edu Studies documenting geographic variation in the morphology of numerous taxa suggest that species with greater geographic range should show more species-level morphological variation. We test this […]

Meeting Abstract 51.5  Saturday, Jan. 5  Shell Game: Coevolution and Compromise in Four Functions of the Turtle Shell STAYTON, C. Tristan; Bucknell University tstayton@bucknell.edu The turtle shell (composed of a dorsal carapace and ventral plastron) acts in many biologically important roles. Most obviously, it serves to protect the turtle within from predation and thus acts as a […]

Meeting Abstract 51.9  Saturday, Jan. 5  Response of Juvenile Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks to Electric Stimuli KAJIURA, Stephen M*; FITZGERALD, Timothy P; Florida Atlantic University; Environmental Defense kajiura@fau.edu All elasmobranchs possess an electrosensory system that enables them to detect electric fields in their environment. Although their exquisite sensitivity to weak electric fields is legendary, the determination of their […]