Dear reader,

As of the end of this summer, my results are inconclusive. Some tantalizing data (pictured below) suggests small larvae may clone at a higher rate, perhaps to overcome the increased

Small larvae appear to consistently clone at higher rates.

mortality suffered by the smaller, weaker larvae. However, though these data look exciting, we do not have enough confidence to back them up. It is clearly something that has potential though, hence my desires for next summer.

There is also an interesting wave of cloning with time. It appears the larvae go through phases of high cloning rates then we see a lull then back to a new phase of cloning. The small and large treatments seem to follow this pattern. The issue came with the density measurements. First, we saw a general decrease in density which is contrary to what would be expected if the larvae were cloning. Second, the initial protocol did not allow for precise enough measurements.

A. forbesi spawning.

All in all, I will be excited come sea star spawning season.

(photo credit: J. Allen)

I love dissecting scopes.

Thanks,

Holly Blackburn.

Dear reader,

The last few weeks in Maine ended up being more work than I had imagined, however, I surely learned more about true research in those three weeks than my college career thus far. Things didn’t end up quite how I would have wanted. I am missing some vital data points and the experimental design needed some tweaking. So, the unfortunate news is that things didn’t work out well. However, as I have heard all too often, “that’s science,” and who doesn’t love it?!   So science is eight hundred failures and one success? Wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, the next step is to just start over. The new design (pictured below) will have more replicates and fewer larvae in an attempt to keep exact density counts.

Experimental design.

Today, we tried a last futile attempt at spawning some leftover sea stars, had some minor success, then development went awry. The sea stars have made their decision; the experiment is over.

However, this is still an awesome project just waiting to be explored. So stay tuned readers, next summer I will start over, sing to the sea stars a little, and get those vital data!

I would also like to thank everyone that helped me this summer. First of all, thank you to the Charles Center for funding!

My everyday schedule.

Thanks to Dr. Jon Allen for convincing me to go to Maine; the research experience was better than I would have ever predicted. Thanks to Bowdoin for housing and the great marine lab. Thanks to Drs. Amy and Olaf Johnson, Dr. Rivers and all the fellows in Maine for a great summer (pictured right).

Thanks also to my labmates, Jordan Salyers, Daniel Schwab, and Kelly Hoolihan.

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Holly Blackburn.

Rockland breakwater

Interspecies love

Variable egg size

Stirring rack

Rockland breakwater also

Pictured left is generally what a normal larva would look like (he probably cloned off one of his arms at the bottom, but his general anatomy is pretty normal). Pictured right are the guys I found yesterday. So here, Fabio (who now looks like a roasted chicken breast) has cloned off his head to form another Fabio. So the trunk still has an esophagus and stomach, but the head only has a mouth. They should both develop everything they need. I hope to take some more pictures of them in the coming week to see how they start regenerating everything.

Larval yoda

To be continued.. by Holly Blackburn