IRFP: Evolution of Sensory Systems in the Invasive Ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi

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The International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct nine to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will support a twenty-four-month research fellowship by Dr. Kevin Pang to work with Dr. Andreas Hejnol at the Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology in Bergen, Norway, as part of the International Research Fellowship Program. A major impact of invasive species on marine ecosystems is via predation on zooplankton, reducing planktonic diversity and both consuming and directly competing with fish larvae. The invasive and destructive ctenophore (comb jelly), Mnemiopsis leidyi, has massively altered and decreased planktonic biodiversity in all areas to where it has expanded. Our research focuses on two key sensory systems that Mnemiopsis uses to interact with its environment and are also responsible for the major impact of this predator on its environment. We are investigating the role of the chemosensory system ("taste") in food selection, as well as testing the hypothesis if the pressure sensory system is responsible for the annual vertical distribution, which leads to population blooms during the summer months. Since ctenophores are one of the earliest branching animal groups, this study will deliver important insights into our understanding of the evolution of animal sensory systems. Since Mnemiopsis recently invaded Norwegian waters, it represents the perfect site for understanding why Mnemiopsis is so successful, and our results may provide a way to prevent or lessen its impact on the ecosystem. This research site has the necessary resources and facilities to answer these questions, and the host is a leader in the field of comparative embryology of marine invertebrates. This project uses multidisciplinary science, along with state of the art research facilities and approaches, and utilizes the synergy of international collaborations to better understand how the evolution of organismal function influences the impact of an invasive species on its environment. The project addresses basic questions regarding the biology of an invasive species that has damaged the ecosystems and economy of several regions where it has been introduced. Climate change and global warming will most likely lead to a higher rate of reproduction and a shift of the distribution of Mnemiopsis to northern European waters, as well as other oceans worldwide. By investigating food selectivity and vertical distribution - two of the major characteristics of Mnemiopsis biology that drives its ability to reproduce and damage ecosystems - this research will lead to increased knowledge about this species and might open strategies to minimize its detrimental affects worldwide. Marine resources are major economic factors in nations with an extended coastal area; finding ways to protect these is of major interest of the population.