Research Training Program

Santiago Herrera
Universidad de los Andes
Bogotá, Colombia

Stephen Cairns, Ph.D.
Allen Collins, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientists
Department of Invertebrate Zoology

"Science is a matter of faith in yourself."

Mysterious Freshwater Jellyfish

Although the word "jellyfish" is usually visually associated with the ocean in the minds of most, there are actually a few jellyfish species that occur not in oceans, but in freshwater. These animals are quite common, but at the same time little is known about them. Most freshwater jellyfish have relatively restricted habitats, occurring in small human-made ponds, reservoirs, and lakes. By far, the most common of these species is named Craspedacusta sowerbii, which has a world-wide distribution. This organism has had reported sightings several times in many places since 1880, appearing only for a very short period of time before mysteriously disappearing. The species status of C. sowerbii was established using only the study of physical characteristics, or, morphological data. Recent unpublished molecular DNA data shows that the name has mistakenly been applied to at least two distinct species which apparently look alike, but are different organisms. This research involved deriving additional molecular data, which yields more information about the biology of this interesting creature. This information could be very important for the conservation of the species. Through this research, we gain a better understanding of the evolutionary biology of the jellyfish, and the freshwater ecosystems in which they live.

This research was supported by the Alice Eve Kennington Internship Endowment.

Letter of gratitude Letter to The Honorable Max Berry