At our first long station, I began a series of experiments on pteropods. These beautiful mollusks are entirely planktonic (spending their entire lives in the water column) and use modified ‘feet’ for wings to propel them through the water. They feed by creating large mucus webs which trap particles and small organisms. Despite their beauty, very little is known of these animals and I began experiments to help determine what they are feeding on and any impact their feeding may have on different size-fractions of the planktonic community. The first set of experiments involved Cavolinia tridentata (pictured above), a pteropod with prominent "wings" and a conspicuous dark spot marking their visceral mass.
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1 comment:
Hello cousin Marianne: Your father must emailed me with pictures of his new home in Pa., and sent attachments showing your blog site, and your endeavors. In case you don't remember I'm cousin John La Coste from Florida, my mother is Aunt Charlotte, your grandfather's younger sister. I'm sure glad that your going for your Ph.D in Marine Biology. It's a great subject. I also have my Ph.D, but the subject is Archives research and American Colonial History. It took me over 20 years of part-time work to be awarded with my Doctorate. At any rate good luck on your adventure. Write a memoir of your experiences, maybe some day you will want to publish your thoughts as you research. Best of luck, Cousin John.
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