I am informed that researchers explore the most fundamental processes of growth, from single-celled eggs to exotic larval forms that float in the plankton and replenish the lagoon. Aboard the research vessel Sunburst, scientists sample planktonic larvae from the lagoon and from the Gulf Stream. Using fine-meshed conical nets, they collect fantastic squid larvae with big eyes and tiny suckers, worm larvae spinning like pinwheels, and tiny crab larvae with long spines. Scientists study transformations that reveal the amazing mechanisms of cells, which in turn provide clues about how populations of crabs and other species in the coastal food web are regulated. Our very capable taxonomists provide comprehensive analyses of biodiversity in Florida and throughout the Caribbean.
Recent studies focus on marine algae, sea stars, sea urchins and marvelous burrowing shrimp.
In addition, the Smithsonian Marine Station is the home of the Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory, which documents the nearly 3,000 species of plants, fishes and invertebrates that make biodiversity in this estuary the highest in the United States. Ecologists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on the Chesapeake, one of the links in our connecting research stations, are conducting studies of blue crabs in the lagoon. With new funding from the National Science Foundation, they are able to compare patterns of blue crab biology in Florida with those of Maryland's heavily fished population. On the diffusion side of our mission, the Marine Station's new site will allow us to bring marine science into the everyday lives of local schoolchildren and involve Florida's senior citizens as docents and volunteers. The station also hopes to expand its professional training programs for young scientists.