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For the 2024 spring semester, I studied at the University of Rhode Island through National Student Exchange (NSE). During my time in Rhode Island, I fully integrated into life as a URI student, including living in the dorms on campus, taking URI courses, and exploring the broader East Coast. I also had the unique opportunity to conduct an independent research project under Dr. Coleen Suckling through the Echinonerd Lab at the URI Bay Campus.
I had a fantastic semester experiencing college life in a completely different state from my home campus in Hawaii, exploring Rhode Island and neighboring states, building meaningful connections, gaining valuable lab experience, and continuing to pursue my academic interests in marine and environmental science!
The Blount Aquarium Research Laboratory, home of the Echinonerd Lab!
For my project, I explored how the anatomy and feeding behaviors of the purple sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata), a species native to Rhode Island, may influence its potential for biofouling control in local aquaculture systems.
Prototyping and Tank Set Up
My final prototype designed to contain and record urchin behaviors.
The new flow-through tank set up to run trials.
Testing visibility in the tank.
Sourcing Purple Urchins
Gathering urchins from Fort Wetherill State Park.
Bringing the urchins back to the lab.
New pets!
Running Trials!
Trial using sea lettuce (Ulva sp.) found in Rhode Island waters.
Trial using a formulated sea urchin food pellet.
Analysis and Findings
The goal of this project was to test how far the purple urchin A. punctulata could reach its peristome to acquire and consume food. An urchin's tube feet can be used to move along the sea floor, sense light and chemical changes, and grab bits of food that float by in the water. An urchin's peristome is the soft tissue that connects the Aristotle's lantern (its mouth) to the test, which enables increased mobility when the urchin is eating.
We ran trials using two types of food - sea lettuce (Ulva sp.) from local waters and a formulated sea urchin food pellet - to see which food they would prefer, and then measure the respective maximum reach of the sea urchins' tube feet and peristomes. While we expected to see movement primarily in the peristome as the urchin reached for food, we actually saw much more movement in the tube feet reaching for the food. From these trials, we also learned that the urchin will reach farther for food pellets, which may influence food type used in future experiments. Looking forward, it would be interesting to run more trials with the food placed closer towards the urchin, to see if a closer proximity would entice the urchin to reach its peristome towards the food.
Findings from this research contribute to a larger project of understanding why co-culturing the local A. punctulata with oysters resulted in improved biofouling control over the more commonly cultured urchin species, S. droebachiensis.
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