Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2007

Taylor Jennifer A, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce. The research and training plan is entitled ""How do soft crabs defend themselves? Anti-predator strategies throughout the molt cycle?"" In order to grow, arthropods such as crabs must undergo the remarkable and risky process of completely shedding their hard exoskeleton and secreting a new one. During this molting process, many arthropods switch from being protected by a rigid armor that requires significant force to break, to being protected by a flaccid skeleton that deforms as easily as plastic wrap. This transition leaves animals particularly vulnerable to predation. While my previous research has shown that crabs remain functional following molting by switching to a hydrostatic (fluid-based) skeleton, surprisingly little is known about how such animals avoid predation during these critical time periods. Anti-predator strategies that function with a hard skeleton may not function with a soft, hydrostatic skeleton. Arthropods, therefore, may have evolved defensive strategies specific to this critical period. This research will examine how anti-predator strategies are modified during molting as the skeleton changes in aquatic and terrestrial crabs. Specifically, I will examine how crabs deter predators, particularly through anti-predator sounds, given that the mechanical properties of their exoskeleton drastically change during molting. I will also examine how crabs escape predators using locomotor mechanisms, given the major shift in skeletal support. This research will be valuable for understanding the behavioral adaptations that arthropods have made to the risky process of molting, which is integral to their successful invasion of nearly every habitat on the planet. The sponsoring scientist is Dr. Sheila Patek at the University of California at Berkeley. Training goals are to collaborate with several leading faculty members to learn new techniques for acoustic analysis, kinematics, and phylogenetics, and develop new behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary approaches to research. I will learn presentation skills and improve my understanding of public outreach, with the eventual goal of a career in science and academia