Some deep-sea shrimp, believed to be blind, travel great distances to reach their home — a boiling hot abyss at the bottom of the ocean with zero sunlight that's toxic to most other life.
Now, FIU marine scientist Heather Bracken-Grissom — along Tamara Frank, professor at Nova Southeastern University, Sönke Johnsen, full professor at Duke University and Jon Cohen, associate professor at the University of Delaware — hopes to uncover the secrets of these strange shrimp.
With a $1.35 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the team will use cutting-edge technology, capable of descending to the crushing pressure of the sea floor where the shrimp live, to investigate them and their environment. Funding will support one postdoctoral scientist, as well as FIU undergraduate students, to help with the research.
Alvinocaridid decapod shrimp, or vent shrimp, swarm to the ocean's hydrothermal vents. Discovered in 1977 and sparsely scattered across mid-ocean ridges, the vents resemble tall chimney-like structures that spew clouds of toxic chemicals reaching upward of 700 degrees.
Some species of vent shrimp crowd together in the thousands on the sides of these vents, forming patches of ghostly white. It's the equivalent of living on the side of a volcano.
But, vent shrimp aren't born there. As larvae, they can live 300 to 3,000 feet away from the hydrothermal vents.
"There's a lot of mysteries surrounding these shrimps, like how do they even find the vents," Bracken-Grissom said. "Is vision involved in the detection over short distances, and once there, how are they so successful? We'll hopefully be able to answer some of these questions."
This marks Heather Bracken-Grissom's fourth major NSF grant. The marine evolutionary biologist has made groundbreaking scientific contributions and is known for her expertise in evolution, biodiversity and conservation of marine animals and plants.
