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Undergraduate Research at UMass Dartmouth
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Female egg-bearing mud crabs were collected from
the rocky intertidal habitat during low tide periods.
When the females became close to releasing larvae
they were transferred to a small finger bowl, then
placed in the incubator.
Once the larvae were released they were cared for
until they reached the megalopae stage when they
were designated to an experiment.
Chemical cues for the experiment were made by
the fish species or adult mud crabs being held in
artificial seawater tanks to let their cue release
into the water. The chemical cue seawater flowed
through the apparatus, a glass pipe-shaped piece of
equipment with an inflow opening, outflow opening,
and a middle opening on top. The middle opening
was used to drop the individual megalopa into the
apparatus with the cue flowing through.
Once the megalopae were dropped into the apparatus
they displayed 1 to 3 different behaviors, and
then flowed out into the sink. The behaviors were
categorized based on the orientation to the flow,
the limb position, and the action performed. These
behaviors included: control swim, random swim,
perimeter swim, cyclone swim, closed roll, open roll,
swim out, sideways walk run, slide, and push.
The data were analyzed using generalized linear
modeling. The results show no difference in behavioral
responses between the two mud crab species.
However, more open rolling behavior was seen for
the mummichog cue, and significantly more walking
on the bottom was seen for the adult cue. This
indicates that megalopae can detect and respond to
chemical cues in their environment. Megalopae can
also tell the difference between adult conspecific
cues and predator cues, and they can perform a
different behavioral response depending on the cue.
My research experiences in Dr. Nancy O’Connor’s
lab are some of my best memories from my time at
UMass Dartmouth. I had so much fun conducting the
research that summer, then rising to the challenge of
analyzing the data, and ultimately getting the opportunity
to present my work at multiple conferences.
It was a rewarding experience that made my career
Asian shore crab
The chemical cue flowed from the reservoir to a flow stabilizer,
then a glass apparatus, and finally the sink. The megalopae were
dropped into the middle funnel shaped opening in the apparatus