I received my Bachelor’s in Biology with a focus in genetics from the University of South Florida in 1999. After graduation I worked for several years on various projects encompassing commercial crab and fisheries genetics at the Florida Wildlife Research Institute, developmental gene mapping at Johns Hopkins University and hypoxia research at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). In 2005, I accepted a position here at Moss Landing Marine Lab’s pollution studies affiliate (MPSL) to assist with their invasive species study. Simultaneously, I somehow convinced Dr. Stacy Kim to take me under her wing and allow me to be a part of her hydrothermal vent research (which just happened to include a fully funded 30-day research cruise over the Lau Basin off the coast of Fiji)!

My thesis project involves identifying and describing the reproductive strategies employed by three mollusks dominating the Lau Back-Arc Basin in the South Pacific: Bathymodiolus brevior, Alviniconcha hessleri and Ifremeria nautilei. To date very little is known about reproduction in vent endemic species and I hope to learn more about the adaptations these animals have evolved to cope with their harsh environment.

a b c

In situ photos of dominant biomass molluscs at the Lau vent system. a. Bathymodiolus brevior (Bb), b. Alviniconcha hessleri (Ah), c. Ifremeria nautilei (In)

By employing histology techniques on the gonad tissue of these specimens, I am able to measure oocyte diameters and determine the stages of gametogenesis at time of collection. These findings, along with size frequency distributions, may help me to determine periodicity of spawning, distinguish cohorts within vent populations, derive recruitment patterns & possibly even model mortality.

Last Updated 29 Nov 2007 by S. Perry