Ongoing Research

Eckerd's Ecophysiology lab has been partnering with colleagues at Mote Marine Laboratory to explore the physiologically responses of two different adult king crab populations in the Florida Keys (upper vs lower keys) when exposed to thermal stress.  We are also interested in determining how elevated temperature may impact larval physiology and larval swimming behavior. Previous projects have included identifying the chemical cues larval King Crabs use to metamorphose to juveniles and in finding a suitable "home".  The Caribbean King Crab is being considered for outplanting in the Florida Keys because they primarily consume macroalgae which can compete with slower growing coral for space.  

Since 2021, the Eckerd Ecophysiology lab has been working in the Keys to determine how stone crab populations may be potentially impacted by simultaneous changes in temperature and seawater pH. We are interested in how these environmental factors impact larval swimming behavior to known orientation cues such as light (phototaxis), gravity (geotaxis), and pressure (barokinesis). These data will be used to create hydrodynamic models that will predict how stone crab populations may shift as coastal waters continue to warm and become more acidic. We are collaborating with colleagues at LSU, NOAA, and FWC to develop these models for Florida's western shelf where 98% of the stone crab fishery occurs. 

Stone crabs are found in shallow subtidal coastal habitats and comprise a $35 million per year fishery in south Florida. The Eckerd College Ecophysiology Lab launched a stone crab monitoring program in Tampa Bay to monitor the local population among different habtiats found within the Bay. We are also monitoring the environmental conditions at each sampling site as well as the potential cues juveniles use to recruit back into the fishery or to find a "home". This research includes several undergraduate volunteers and will eventually contribute to multiple Eckerd undergraduate theses. 

Coastal marine invertebrates can experience temporal changes in salinity due to tidal changes, seasonal freshwater runoff from storm events, or marine heat waves that result in evaporation. This is especially true for shallow coastal habitats like bays and estuaries where the volume of water is less than deeper coastal regions and thus subject to rapid temporal changes in salinity. As a result, coastal habitats can experience salinities ranging from near 0 to hypersaline levels. Many of these coastal habitats also serve as critical habitats for commercially important crustaceans including the Florida stone crab. This project is currently determining the ability of stone crabs to osmo- and ion-regulate or conform when exposed to varying salinity regimes the population may experience in coastal habitats.  This project was supported in part by the Eckerd College First Year Research Program and the Eckerd College Ecophysiology Lab.