In days when natural history is decline, it is great to note that natural history societies still exist and are able to support research in natural history. The Conchologists of America (COA) is one such society, specifically "for shell enthusiasts from all walks of life, at all levels of interest", and they have just made an award to Jessica Goodheart, a University of Maryland-Smithsonian PhD student.
Jessica is going to be studying how some nudibranch seaslugs steal the defenses of their prey and turn around and put those defenses to their own use. She will rely heavily on the collections in Invertebrate Zoology, but she also needs fresh material, for both genetics and histological sections. So, it is fantastic that COA has provided funds for Jessica to collect in Florida this summer.
Scyllaea pelagica from Molokai, Hawaii; an example of a nudibranch that does not steal stinging cells from its cnidarian prey.
by Allen G. Collins
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