Joseph Sungail, Kimbereley Alpert and Juliet Maurukas co-author article in ‘Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology’

Joseph Sungail (M.S. Marine Sciences ’10) served as first author of an article that was recently published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Co-authors were A. Christine Brown, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Biology; Kimbereley Alpert (Marine Biology ’08); and Juliet Maurukas (Marine Biology ’09).

The article is titled “Prey selection by Gulf of Maine green crabs (Carcinus maenas), rock crabs (Cancer irroroatus) and American lobsters (Homarus americanus): A laboratory study.”   It examines prey selection preferences among juvenile green crabs, rock crabs and American lobsters in a laboratory setting with a limited selection of prey items.

The results of the study suggest, somewhat contrary to expectations, that while the three species have different claw morphologies, they select similar prey when presented with a size range of mussels and barnacles. This overlap of resource utilization could have implications for all three species. The simplified model utilized in the lab gives a base line of non motile prey preferences in an “ideal situation.”
 

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