Explorers, Travelers, Rum connoisseurs, Designers, Writers, Electricians, Painters, Handymen ..... Scientists

LAB MEMBERS

J A BAEZA | ASSISTANT PROFFESOR

PRAKASH SANJEEVI | FULBRIGHT-NEHRU POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Prakash Sanjeevi is exploring whether or not marine crustaceans with wide geographic ranges do represent complexes of cryptic species. As model systems, he is using caridean 'marbled' shrimps of the genus Saron from the Indo-Pacific and 'peppermint' shrimps of the Lysmata from the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic ocean.

L J AMBROSIO | PHD STUDENT

John Ambrosio is formally testing conflict theory in resource specialist crustaceans. He is studying parent-offspring and offspring-offspring conflict in the ascidian-dwelling crab Tunicotheres moseri. This unique pea-crab exhibits extended parental care; females brood not only eggs but Zoea larvae, post-larval megalopae, and first crab instars within their well developed abdominal chamber. Tunicotheres moseri is a great model system to test conflict among closely related individuals.

LUNDEN SIMPSON | MSC STUDENT

Lunden Simpson is exploring the effect of a newly described nemertean worm on the reproductive performance of the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus, target o the most lucrative fishery in the Caribbean and also a keystone species in hard bottom and coral reef communities. She discovered that the nermertean worm was a new species to science, recently described it, and named it after Conan O'brien.

CREATIVE INQUIRY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Creative Inquiry is the imaginative combination of engaged learning, cross-disciplinary interactions and undergraduate research that is unique to Clemson University. Team-based investigations are led by the PI J A Baeza and typically span a year or more. Students take on problems that spring from curiosity or theory. As an integral part of the Clemson community, our lab thinks that the CI experience produce exceptional graduates.

The future ...

SHANNON LEONARD

Shannon is studying the life history of the hermit crab Clibanarius tricolor, the most heavily harvested ornamental crustacean in the Florida Keys

CLAYR KROENKE

Clayr is studying the life history of the stone crab Menippe menippe / Menippe mercenaria, a keystone species that is also heavily targeted by fishermen in the westerna Atlantic coast of the USA, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Keys.

CHIARA MICCHELLI

Chiara is studying the life history of the stenopodid shrimp Stenopus hispidus, a beautiful and heavily harvested ornamental crustacean in the Florida Keys

HAYDEN MULLEN

Hayden Mullen is testgin whether or not phyletic dwarfism impacts the reproductive performance using the minute crab Pentamithrax pygmaeus as a model system.

ALUMNI

Former undergraduate students well prepared for the future ...

SARAH STEEDMAN

August 2022 - July 2023

Sarah used the parasitic isopod Parabopyrella lata and its shrimp host Lysmata boggessi to test for monogamy and augmented reproductive performance in parasitic castrators. Her Honor's Thesis was converted into a manuscript recently published in the journal 'Marine Biology'. At present, she is studying at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

EVERETT ENGSTROM

January 2024 - July 2025

Everett studied sexual conflict in the simultaneously hermaphroditic shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni. He helped developing a protocol to anesthetize shrimps and experimentally test the cost of mating in female-role shrimps. At present, he is studying at University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC.

INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

Postdoctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students conducting research during short visits at our lab.

XIAOMI LIU

Xiaomi visited us during the Fall Semester 2017. Xiaomi used the peppermint shrimp Lysmata boggessi to test for active parental care in small brooding marine invertebrates. More soon! She went back to China to finish her BSc. studies. Good luck Xiaomi!

CAROLINA SALAS

Carolina visited us during 2017. She is collaborating with our lab with the genetic description of a newly discovered feeding ground for marine turtles in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. More soon!

ANDRES ROMERO

Andres visited us during 2016 and 2017. He is collaborating with our lab to advance our knowledge of embryonic development in caridean shrimps. We have recently published a first manuscript resulting from our collaboration in the journal 'Biological Bulletin'.

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SOLOMON TIN CHI CHAK

Solomon visited us during 2019. Our labs are collaborating to improve our knowledge of selective pressures in mitochondrial genomes of caridean shrimps. We have recently published a first manuscript resulting from our collaboration in the journal 'Scientific Reports'.