Shuttle Mission's "Neurolab" To Study Nervous System
... Early on the morning of April 16, 1998, dozens of snails and fish willgo where only a few men and women hav...animals in the early stages of life. The snails and fish will fly aboard Neurolab, a shuttle research missiondedicated to the study of the life scie...Destructive Algae Overtaking Mediterranean Waters
...algaes invasion, because these predators eat at a snails pace literally, says Meinesz. He presented his analyses at a recent meeting sponsored by the Redmond, Wash.-based Marine Conservation Biology Institute. Though biological control is becoming quite common in agriculture and gardening, it has n...Invasion of alien parasite halted; California coast cleared of African worm in abalone
...ntertidal habitat and over 2.5 million abalone and snails along the shore hadbecome infested with the worms.... numbers -- about 1.5million of these ten-year-old snails -- from their intertidal home, and dumpedthem on dry land. "An awful lot of snails died fo...Mass extinction of freshwater species in North America
...asmussen found that common freshwater species from snails to fishto amphibians are dying out five times faster than terrestrial species. In fact,freshwater animals are dying out as fast as rainforest species, which are generally considered tobe the most imperiled on Earth. If nothing is done, Ricciardi and...Researchers characterize mollusk insulin gene, find unique peptide
...n Aplysia. "Like studying genetics in fruitflies, snails -- especially marine mollusks -- make nice model systems forunderstanding behavior at its simplest," he said. "The animals are easy tostudy and they have readily accessible cells." In the body, insulin causes certain physiological responses that are...Search and support for the rare white abalone is on; sex must occur with close neighbors
...ifornians for a longtime: the tasty-fleshed marine snails have been found in the earliest Indianmiddens of some 10,000 years ago. The white abalone is a deep-water species found between 80 and 200 feet on rocky reefs from Point Conception in California to Punta Abreojos in Baja California, Mexico. ...On the floor of the sea: USGS biologists search for rare, white abalone
...withfossilized remains of the tasty-fleshed marine snails having been found in theearliest Indian middens of some 10,000 years ago. The white abalone is adeep-water species found between 80 and 200 ft. on rocky reefs from PointConception in California to Punta Abreojos in Baja California, Mexico. Highlypri...Sea slug's shopping habits dictated by hunger, scientists report
...d if degrees of appetite affected the readiness of snails to attack or avoid available prey. Responses wer...ght to be exclusive to higher vertebrates." Hungry snails tempted with the betaine -- a chemical found in most marine invertebrates that stimulates predators ...Stone tools reveal ancient seafood diet
...ation of marine organisms such as clams, scallops, snails andoysters and the tools were used to harvest and eat these mollusks and crustaceans." The research team hopes its discovery will encourage further exploration of African coastal sites for evidence of human activity. Their paper was published in the...Florida scientist finds eight new snails that may give water quality clues
...e and they feel like grit, but some new species of snails discovered by a University of Florida scientist ma... notice," he said. "We're talking about very small snails -- approximately a tenth to a quarter of an inch long." And you won't spot them unless you happe...Global warming: lessons taught by snails and crabs
...ebrates - porcelain crabs (genus Petrolisthes) and snails (genus Tegula). The researchers wanted to see if intertidal crabs and snails are more susceptible to heat than their subtidal cousins, which spend their entire lives under water...Hopkins' Young Investigators' Day winners shine in the spotlight
...tion-causing chemicals and a deadly toxin from sea snails to alter channel structure and provide insights into its function. The work should help design specific drugs for epilepsy or heart arrythmias, he says, as well as develop biosensors for environmental toxins. Alessandra Boletta, Ph.D., was awarded ...Marine snail study suggests conservation efforts should move beyond genetic diversity
...to withstand environmental changes. But while the snails around Los Angeles and southward are genetically more diverse than those to the north, the researchers discovered that they are less diverse morphologically. This is due to the presence of a different shell form, or morphology, in some populations i...Evolution at a snail's pace: It's faster than you think
...old territory. The scientists discovered that the snails in the repopulated area to the north began to evol...more interesting is the fact that although the new snails in the northern part of California had a completely new and different look, they were genetically ve...Study of marine snail suggests conservation efforts should consider factors beyond genetic diversity
... Francisco, to San Diego. They discovered that the snails genetic diversity, the most commonly used gauge of... to withstand environmental changes. But while the snails around Los Angeles and to the south are genetically more diverse than those to the north, the resear...Using hard science to protect fragile seas
...oviding ideal habitat for indigenous crabs, clams, snails and fish. But protection can have an unexpected downside - especially when the natural ecosystem is totally out of balance. Micheli is evaluating the effects of no-take reserves along the west coast of Italy. Several species of fish targeted by recr...Parasite offers natural way to control leaf-eating slugs
...uth America. The worms feed on snails and slugs, and laboratory-grow... Larval worms of this species infect slugs and snails by burrowing under their shells and into their skin. Infected slugs stop eating ...Sea Grant study finds Chinese mitten crabs appear free of human parasite lung flukes
...in the process of analyzing hundreds of freshwater snails from the area to look for evidence of lung flukes. Even if the snails turn up clean, Culver said, there are other major health concerns - such as bioaccumulation of conta...Stratified seawater disrupts the transport of imposex substances
...he growth of male sexual characteristics in female snails on the seabed. The ecotoxicologists from the Neth...nd imposex in snails. Imposex is an abnormality in snails of the seabed, resulting in male sexual characteristics in females. Imposex is most prevalent in an...The oceans top 10 coral reef hotspots identified for first time
...tal of 3,235 species, including reef fish, corals, snails and lobsters, four separate animal groups that all require healthy reef environments in order to survive. The creation of marine reserves off limits to fishing is one of the steps that should be taken immediately, Roberts said. About six percent of ...