Confusing Crustaceans: Peracarid Systematics, Collection and Preservation

My name is Anchita Casaubon and I am a PhD student at the Senckenberg Naturmuseum in Frankfurt. My research focuses on using an integrated approach combining geometric morphometrics and molecular genetics to study the deep-sea isopod family Macrostylidae. I first took an interest in marine biology in 2017 after I decided to go back to school to pursue another bachelor degree. A research expedition during my bachelors made me realize that I wanted to be a deep-sea biologist who focused on crustaceans, starting the trajectory that I am on now! After I graduated with my BSc, I moved to Tennessee to do my M.S., where I applied geometric morphometric and genetic techniques to study the snapping shrimp genus Alpheus. After receiving my MSc degree, I moved to Frankfurt, Germany, where I now study isopods. I am very excited about this course as it will help me learn more about peracarids while develop the toolset I need to carry out my PhD research. I am also excited to meet the other participants in this course!

My name is Anna-Chiara Barta, and I am a PhD student at the Natural History Museum of Vienna. My research focuses on the molecular phylogeny and evolution of Peracarida, with a particular emphasis on isopods. I first began working on isopods during my master’s thesis, where I conducted a DNA barcoding project on Austrian terrestrial isopods. This experience laid the foundation for my current areas of interest. The upcoming Panama course presents a valuable opportunity to expand my knowledge of peracarid biology beyond lab and molecular research.

Hi all! As the label implies, I’m Caroline! I am the Associate Collection Manager of the Marine Biodiversity Center and will be trading off a support role with Victoria Westover during the workshop. My background is in stony coral, but I’m excited to continue expanding my knowledge in marine invertebrates, including Paracids. I’m originally from Chesapeake, Virginia (like the Chesapeake Bay) and got my master’s degree in Biology at Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. During my graduate degree I focused on trying to develop a species-specific eDNA barcode for the coral species Montastraea cavernosa (ended up being 50% successful) and top-down photogrammetry of Southeast Florida coral communities. In my current position, my focus is drawn more towards our digitization project at the MBC (DigIn), and am starting to shift towards research again as the Paracarid grant ramps up. I can’t wait to meet you all!

I’m a research scientist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, with a focus on marine biodiversity. Since I started at NHMLA, I’ve worked on a variety of projects, including decapod systematics, community-based insect biodiversity, environmental DNA-based marine studies, and large-scale digitization of museum marine invertebrate collections. Much of my work has been in technical and data management issues, helping to capture, organize, and disseminate biodiversity-related information. I’m looking forward to supporting the Peracarida program in the field, in the lab, and in digital data space.

I am an adjunct professor at the University of Lodz, committed to the study of the biodiversity, taxonomy, and evolution of tanaidaceans. I have been studying deep-sea neotanaids, but am very keen to expand my focus to shallow-water taxa as well, especially those representing the families of suborder Apseudomorpha. The main goals are to build a more complete picture of their evolutionary history, get their taxonomy right, and establish their mechanisms of adaptation to and roles in marine ecosystems. Additionally, I am interested in small symbiotic decapod crabs, so do not mind me if you catch me bothering (in the name of science) other invertebrates, such as molluscs, ghost shrimps, or polychaetes. I am just checking if they are hosting pea crabs. PS: I am the current program officer of The Crustacean Society. Please let me know if you have questions, suggestions, ideas, recommendations, on how to help more young scientists get involved and succeed in carcinology.

My name is Giovanna O. Reis, and I'm a PhD student at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. I've always been passionate about the ocean, so in my quest to study something that fascinated me so much, I connected with amphipods and discovered myself as a scientist by studying them. I've been studying amphipods since 2017, starting with taxonomic studies of a freshwater genus (undergraduate and master's degree) and currently focusing on marine amphipods from the intertidal zone. I've always focused on taxonomy, but my thesis is involved with molecular data and phylogeography. During my PhD fieldwork, I collected isopods and tanaidaceans, which increased my interest in peracarids in general. This course will be essential for me to expand my knowledge of peracarids, contribute to my thesis and also to future studies. In addition, being with everyone in Bocas del Toro will be of great value and I am sure that the knowledge shared will be invaluable.

Hello! My name is Kamila Głuchowska, and I have a master's degree in biology obtained from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Lodz, Poland. Throughout my undergraduate and master's studies, I have been working on a fascinating group of small marine crustaceans – Tanaidacea. For my future research, I aim to figure out what adaptations allow these crustaceans to inhabit the deepest parts of the ocean. While I deeply love fieldwork, I am also comfortable working in molecular laboratories. My experience with sampling so far has been limited to deep-sea, so I am incredibly excited about the opportunity this training provides to explore shallow-water fauna. I am looking forward to meeting and learning from scientists who specialize in the Peracarida group. This opportunity is not only a chance to expand my knowledge but also to connect with others who share my enthusiasm for this unique field of study.

My name is Marius Beckmann, and I am a master’s student at Bergen University, Norway. My master's programme revolves around opossum shrimp (mysids) in Norwegian waters and my thesis is about differentiating and describing 7 closely related species of mysids (Erytrophs, Meterythrops and Pararythrops). My project uses morphological characters and DNA analyses. I am excited to partake in this course and this opportunity will provide me with experience that is great for my current and future research.

Hi. My name is Martin Schwentner. I am the curator for Crustacea at the Natural History Museum Vienna. Am interested in the evolution and diversity of crustaceans and work mainly using various genetic or genomic techniques on evolutionary questions related to their systematics, phylogeny, phylogeography, population genetics and taxonomy. My main taxon of interest is Branchiopoda, but I am also highly interested in Peracarida.

Hi all. I’m Nasreen Peer, a South African marine ecologist employed at Stellenbosch University as a lecturer. My research interests lie in coastal vegetated systems (mangroves, seagrasses, kelp forests) along the south and east African coastlines. Specifically, my projects explore the biodiversity of crustaceans in these habitats which are often still understudied. My interest in taxonomy began during my PhD when I worked on the systematics of freshwater brachyurans around South Africa. Currently I’ve been learning a lot about peracarids as we study kelp holdfast invertebrate communities. Although I’ve always wanted to follow this branch of research, time and resources haven’t really provided much of an opportunity which is why I’m so excited to learn more from this workshop. This course will really help to build my knowledge around these crustaceans and to fill a South African knowledge/skills gap in general.

My name is Pedro A. Peres, and I am postdoc at Florida International University (Miami, USA). I am interested in using genomics to understand marine biodiversity. Specifically, I investigate the association between abiotic and/or biotic factors and genetic diversity, population differentiation (or lack thereof), demographic changes, and the use of environmental DNA to characterize marine communities. Most of my past research has focused on shallow-water crustaceans, but now I have been adventuring myself in understanding pelagic deep-sea fish, shrimps, and peracarids. I believe this course will help me to solidify and amplify my knowledge of the group, which will help me in my current and future research. I am also thrilled about the opportunity to connect with fascinating colleagues working on peracarids (and to do that at the STRI in Bocas del Toro!).

Hello, y’all! I’m Samantha Antonio and I am a current second year undergraduate at the University of Alaska Anchorage. I have recently joined Dr. Gerken’s lab last Spring semester, and it has been a blast! I am becoming a proficient identifier as I scan Antarctic samples Dr. Gerken collected last year. From amphipods to cumaceans (and much more), I am beginning to get acquainted with many benthic invertebrates. After getting much lab experience, I am excited to witness how in-field research rocks and rolls in real time. Granted, I am still new to this college and research scene, so through this workshop, I am excited to see if I have a true calling for these crazy crustaceans.

Hi all, I am Shoki Shiraki who is a PhD student in Hokkaido University, Japan. My main research interests are about taxonomy and phylogeny of Anthuroidea (Isopoda), but I am also interested in other isopods and peracarids. I am believing that this workshop will greatly help me working on not only isopods but also other perecarids in the future. I am looking forward to meeting amazing marine crustaceans I have not yet seen and all of you in Panama!

Hello! I’m Siena McKim from California, U.S.A. I am a PhD candidate at University of California, Santa Barbara studying the evolution of silk in crustaceans, particularly amphipods (corophiida & ampeliscidae). I first became fascinated with silk producing amphipods during my first project in grad school where I was documenting Peracarid diversity in local kelp forest sponges. Quickly I found many amphipods instead of living within sponges, constructed their own homes, like tubes and rods, with silk produced from their body! Silk spinning is a crucial behavior for these worldwide distributed amphipods and has convergently evolved in amphipods 2 times! How silk evolved multiple times in amphipods and what underlying genes they use for silk production is a key focus of my research. I’m also an artist, using my 2D and 3D skills to communicate concepts in evolutionary biology and ecology to the public. Last year I was able to join the amphipod course at STRI so I’m so excited to return this summer and find more silk spinning amphipods (and tanaids) and learn from you all!

Hi! My name is Sofía Calderón López. I was born in Colombia, but I have been living in Argentina since 2010. Since I was a child, the ocean and its mysteries have been attractive to me. Currently, I am a PhD student at the Buenos Aires University. Before that, I focused my undergraduate thesis on one Sphaeromatidae genus (Roly-poly bugs are so cute!!). During my PhD, I have continued my research with isopods, this time focusing on the phylogenetic analysis, biogeography and taxonomy of the deep-sea Asellota, with special emphasis on those of the southwest Atlantic. All the work done in our lab is based on morphological characters. Therefore, I expect this workshop to provide insight into the molecular aspects of peracarids. In addition, I am also interested in gaining fieldwork experience, as I have not been able to participate in any coastal or oceanographic campaigns. I would also like to meet other researchers from different backgrounds who share my passion for this field.

Hello, my name is Thomas Hughes, and I am a recent Masters of Research Graduate from Bangor University, Wales. My previous research (undergraduate/Masters) was focused on the biogeography and evolutionary history of terrestrial Isopods in south-eastern France. This project led me to develop a passion for Mediterranean terrestrial Isopods, particularly regarding their taxonomy, ecology and rhinophorid host-parasitoid relationships. After recently assisting in the identification of some deep-sea benthic samples, I was struck by the great diversity within the peracarids and felt I would be doing my terrestrial group a disservice if I didn’t investigate and explore these related taxa found in marine environments. This course will be an exciting opportunity for me to do just that! Broaden my knowledge of the peracarids and develop field skills in a significantly different environment. In addition, the terrestrial Isopods of Panama are extremely understudied, so this would be an unparalleled opportunity for me to survey a completely novel, tropical fauna.

Hi! My name is Valeria Vale. I am a PhD student in Systematics and Evolution at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. My research interests focus on the taxonomy and ecology of cave isopods and environmental education. During my undergraduate studies, I began learning about amphipods, isopods, tanaidaceans, and cumaceans of sandy beaches, parallel to my research into the ecology and macroecology of hermit crabs. Since then, I have been fascinated by their diversity! I am very excited to attend the course! I want to improve my knowledge of the taxonomy and systematics of peracarid crustaceans and learn new research methods to continue unraveling the dark and fantastic subterranean isopods' world.

Hi! My name is Victoria Vandersommen. I am a biology master’s student at the University of Alaska Anchorage. My research is focused on a small, benthic peracarid crustacean called a cumacean, often colloquially named comma shrimp. I am looking specifically at their biogeography in the circum-Antarctic to determine if gene flow is occurring, or if they’re remaining isolated due to poor swimming capabilities. I began learning about cumaceans while completing an undergraduate research project focused on uncovering if they contain gut microbes (spoiler: they do!). I am fascinated by their diverse morphological traits and their importance in the marine food web by feeding larger organisms and recycling detritus. When I’m not working towards my master’s degree, I am a first mate aboard the M/V Discovery in Prince William Sound, Alaska as a hiking and kayaking guide during the summers, and use any opportunity I can to poke around in the mud to look for cumaceans and other peracarids to show travelers the biodiversity living in Alaskan sediment.

Hello, I’m Victoria Westover, a Senior Coordinator for the DigIn Digitization Program at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Although my academic background is in Environmental Public Policy and Journalism from the University of Southern California, I have become immersed in the wonderful world of marine biology since joining NHMLA’s Marine Biodiversity Center in 2018. I am deeply involved in digitization as I oversee the digitization work of dozens of undergraduate students. This involves developing, documenting, and implementing digitization workflows and transforming raw data collection to final database entries. Beyond digitization, I aid our lab in outreach and science communication initiatives, including organizing multi-institutional teacher outreach workshops, managing social media accounts, and maintaining NSF project websites (see digin-tcn.org and peracarida.org). I am eager to participate in this course to learn about peracarids and field research methodologies, improve my leadership skills, collaborate with international colleagues, and learn how to create compelling science communication content under the guidance of Andres Pruna.

Hello, I am William Farris, a Laboratory Technician at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA) My current position is funded through a grant that aims to develop a deeper understanding of the diversity of Antarctic members of Cumacea through whole genome sequencing, transcriptome sequencing, and DNA barcoding. My undergraduate research was focused on taxonomy of aplacophoran molluscs, but through my current position I was lucky enough to go on a research expedition to Antarctica (see icyinverts.com) where I was first introduced to the incredible diversity of peracarid crustaceans, especially isopods and amphipods. Ever since that expedition, I have been head over heels in love with the weirdos of Pericarida. I am heavily interested in pursuing this passion into a Ph.D. program, and I hope that this workshop will give me a stronger backbone of knowledge to move forward in my career and relationships with people that possess similar research interests!