Support of a Charter Vessel for the Collection of Live Marine Organisms for Neurobiological Research

Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

The long-finned squid Loligo pealei is used at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) for detailed neurobiological study at the molecular, cellular, tissue and whole animal levels. For more than 28 years, this MBL/NSF squid program has enabled neurobiologists, physiologists, anatomists, biochemists and biophysicists to study fundamental properties of the nervous system. The giant axon, the giant synapse and the eyes are outstanding and unique features of squids that render them as premiere marine models, and they continue to provide vital breakthroughs into mechanisms of synaptic transmission, nerve impulse propagation, axonal transport and organelle motility, membrane structure, cell repair, cell death, and ion channel distribution and function. Squids migrate inshore by early May and are available near Woods Hole, MA through September each year. About 40-60 investigators come to the MBL specifically during this period to carry out basic research using the squid as a model system. To collect these delicate creatures, the MBL has chartered a suitable trawling vessel - the Loligo- with a knowledgeable captain and mates to find and deliver squids throughout each summer. NSF support has helped defray the cost of the summer charter vessel and developed methods for better maintenance and health of squids. Scientists to the MBL come from diverse national and international geographical regions, and continued funding of this proposal extends beyond the actual science by providing an intellectually stimulating environment for the training of young scientists.