S
ince the mid-19th century, researchers have observed that marine animals living in symbiosis with photosynthetic algae, such as sea anemones, flatworms, and sea slugs, move in response to light, a phenomenon known as phototaxis. Such adaptations may have allowed these organisms to orient themselves toward a specific light environment conducive to optimal photosynthetic activity, allowing them to thrive in shallow marine habitats. While the survival of both organisms relies on a mutually beneficial partnership, nothing is known about how these organisms communicate nor what underlying signal is used to induce these fascinating light-driven behaviours in the animal. Combining physiology and photobiology with neuroscience, our research explores the mechanisms that connect algal photosynthesis with animal behaviour.
|
|
| Illuminated image of Exaiptasia diaphana. Photo credit: Lara Cakmakci. |
|
