Juvenile anemones feed on the gonads of jellyfish
a temporary ectoparasite of sea cucumbers
the bulbous structures attached to the shrimp are reproductive structures of a parasitic barnacle
Juvenile anemones feed on the gonads of jellyfish
CHARLESTON, OR
TROPHIC IMPACTS OF PARASITES,
CTELab
My graduate research focuses on the protist parasite Labyrinthula zosterae (Lz) on eelgrass and how it affects trophic interactions in eelgrass ecosystems. I am generally fascinated by how parasites and disease affect the trophic ecology of their hosts. Peripheral projects to my dissertation include investigations into other parasite or disease systems.
​
One project focuses on the relationships between the shrimp Pandalus danae and the rhizocephalan barnacle Sylon hippolytes. How does Sylon affect the fatty acids of the host shrimp? Is an infected shrimp still a shrimp? This work is being done at Friday Harbor Laboratories (University of Washington).
​
The images above show various parasitic invertebrates.