Dr. Don Levitan examines how barriers to fertilization evolve between groups of sea urchins

Dr. Chelsie Wallace Levitan, wife and sometimes technician of Dr. Don Levitan, (Florida State University) tells the story of the research project they are working on this spring at the BMSC.

Dr. Levitan’s research is focused on the ecology and evolution of marine invertebrates. Specifically, his work examines the interactions between ecological processes, natural and sexual selection, and molecular evolution.

How does one study the evolution of the barriers to fertilization between closely related sea urchin species? Take a look!


Encouraging urchins to spawn

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4. Urchins are injected with a potassium chloride solution to induce spawning. The sex of an urchin cannot be determined until it spawns so there is great anticipation to see if we get eggs or sperm each time.