Waves of communication: Metabolomics describe the nature and role of waterborne cues in the marine environment

Waterborne cues are important tools for signaling in the marine environment. Despite decades of dedicated research, we know little about the chemical nature of these cues and of the physiological response by individuals that detect the cues. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy- and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, the identity of a fear-inducing cue released by predatory blue crabs and that is utilized by prey crabs to detect their predators was described. Additionally, allelopathic phytoplankton were fingerprinted based on their exometabolomes, and the metabolic consequences of allelopathy on competitors were elucidated. Metabolomics provides an opportunity to study waterborne cues where other approaches have historically failed, allowing for the advancement of our understanding of the chemical nature of a wide range of ecological interactions.Ph.D

Variable Allelopathy Among Phytoplankton Reflected in Red Tide Metabolome Dataset

The data files in "Archived Spectra" contain the unprocessed 1H NMR spectral data files underlying the publication: Remington X. Poulin, Kelsey L. Poulson-Ellestad, Jessie S. Roy, Julia Kubanek, Variable allelopathy among phytoplankton reflected in red tide metabolome, Harmful Algae, Volume 71, 2018, Pages 50-56, ISSN 1568-9883, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2017.12.002.Dataset for Harmful Algae Manuscript titled: "Variable allelopathy among phytoplankton reflected in red tide metabolome"National Sceince Foundation Award Numbers OCE-1060300 and OCE-123444

Chemical encoding of risk perception and predator detection among estuarine invertebrates

An effective strategy for prey to survive in habitats rich in predators is to avoid being noticed. Thus, prey are under selection pressure to recognize predators and adjust their behavior, which can impact numerous community-wide interactions. Many animals in murky and turbulent aquatic environments rely on waterborne chemical cues. Previous research showed that the mud crab, Panopeus herbstii, recognizes the predatory blue crab, Callinectus sapidus, via a cue in blue crab urine. This cue is strongest if blue crabs recently preyed upon mud crabs. Subsequently, mud crabs suppress their foraging activity, reducing predation by blue crabs. Using NMR spectroscopy- and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, chemical variation in urine from blue crabs fed different diets was related to prey behavior. We identified the urinary metabolites trigonelline and homarine as components of the cue that mud crabs use to detect blue crabs, with concentrations of each metabolite dependent on the blue crab’s diet. At concentrations found naturally in blue crab urine, trigonelline and homarine, alone as well as in a mixture, alerted mud crabs to the presence of blue crabs, leading to decreased foraging by mud crabs. Risk perception by waterborne cues has been widely observed by ecologists, but the molecular nature of these cues has not been previously identified. Metabolomics provides an opportunity to study waterborne cues where other approaches have historically failed, advancing our understanding of the chemical nature of a wide range of ecological interactions