Research Progress in Akkeshi: Mostly a Success

Amazingly, I have been in Japan for just over 6 weeks at this point! There are only 3.5 weeks remaining, which means that my experiments are well underway and the end is just around the corner. Since I haven't yet shared my experimental set up, I thought I'd do a quick post here to show what my science here looks like. Photos from an experiment like this are just a little bit more exciting than those from my usual genetics lab and computer work!

I have two main experiments running, one on temperature and one on salinity. These are testing what range of conditions the fluffy sea anemone can survive in over an extended period of time. To test this, I have four different temperatures increasing at intervals from the outside ocean temperature, and five different salinities both increasing and decreasing from the outside ocean salinity. Each temperature and salinity level has multiple replicates within it, with anemones kept in cups to follow more closely each individual. These are kept in as stable of conditions as possible during the experiment and are fed, but nonetheless I measure and record any changes in temperature or salinity at least every other day, as well as check for any deceased individuals. 

Mini-aquaria for the salinity experiments, all kept in running seawater to maintain the temperature of each aquarium consistent.

Four anemones per replicate

Some of them look quite happy - they're given live brine shrimp to keep them well fed.

The alien-like temperature set up

Each temperature has a tupperware where fresh seawater is brought in, warmed, then delivered through tubes to the individual anemones. Below is a heater that maintains the correct temperature surprisingly consistently.

Modified pipette tip water delivery system

Not all experiments go according to plan though, as often happens! I had intentions to run an experiment on the dissolved oxygen tolerance of sea anemones, but through multiple trial and error of the experimental setup, it was time to give up on it. However, that's part of the reason I came with three experiments; 2 out of 3 is not so bad :). Sometimes it's better know when to move on to the next thing rather than spend your days trying to fix something that just isn't going to work. 

Metridium senile isn't the only anemone that is in the area! I've collected a few others that are common in Hokkaido waters.

Urticinia coriacea

Epiactis japonica - a brooding anemone with lots of young attached on the column

Anthopleura kurogane - very common hiding in the tide pools in rock crevices

Oral disc fully visible

Here you can see the verrucae, sticky little bumps that hold substrate for camouflage