Research

Close up of sea urchin tube feet. Each tube foot consists of an extensible stalk and an adhesive disc.

Form and function of adhesive tube feet

The majority of tasks required for sea urchin survival are either partially or wholly mediated by tube feet. Notably, tube feet are used for adhesion, locomotion, sensing, food capture, and respiration. In many species, these tasks are often divided between tube feet with (either subtle or dramatic) differences in their morphology. However, the connection between function and morphology of tube feet is often the subject of untested hypotheses. My work applies physical and engineering principles to the study of tube foot functional morphology.

Related publications

Carla A. Narvaez, Andrew J. Moura, Daniel F. Scutella, Jack P. Cucchiara, Alyssa Y. Stark, and Michael P. Russell. 2022. Plasticity in fluctuating hydrodynamic conditions: Tube feet regeneration in sea urchins. Journal of Experimental Biology.

The purple urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, remains attached in the intertidal despite crushing waves and periodic exposure to the air.

Plasticity in adhesive tube feet

Sea urchins are known for their remarkable phenotypic plasticity. In response to a variety of environmental factors, they may modify multiple aspects of their morphology and physiology, including their tube feet. Because tube feet play a large role in maintaining secure attachment, living in different physical environments may illicit different tube foot morphologies depending on the environment-specific functional demands placed on tube feet (i.e. phenotypic plasticity). I am therefore interested in understanding what aspects of tube feet display plasticity and the potential adaptive value of any observed plasticity.

Related Publications

The green urchin, S. droebachiensis, an important marine grazer, experiences extreme fluctuations in salinity.

Adhesion under variable conditions

Marine environments experience extreme fluctuations in physical conditions which can have a large consequences on sea urchin survival and ecosystem interactions. Tube feet and their adhesive function are a critical component of sea urchin survival in many habitats. However tube foot performance may be negatively impacted by environmental changes (e.g. temperature, salinity). I am therefore interested in understanding how the intensity and frequency of environmental fluctuations impact short-term and long-term tube foot adhesion and function.

Related Publications

Andrew J. Moura, Austin M. Garner, Carla A. Narvaez, Jack P. Cucchiara, Alyssa Y. Stark, and Michael P. Russell. 2023. Hyposalinity reduces coordination and adhesion of sea urchin tube feet. Journal of Experimental Biology.

Austin M. Garner, Andrew J. Moura, Carla A. Narvaez, Alyssa Y. Stark, and Michael P. Russell. Repeated hyposalinity pulses immediately and persistently impair the sea urchin adhesive system. 2024. Integrative and Comparative Biology

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