Research and Publications:
The "Immortal Jellyfish" has become an incredibly well known species due to its unique life cycle reversal ability. Although originally classified as Turritopsis nutricula, the Immortal Jellyfish was given a new name, T. dorhnii. Partnering again with the incredible Miglietta lab, I helped collect and rear T. nutricula from near their original type locality and we clarified their taxonomic position.
A single, strange looking moon jelly was discovered off shore in the Gulf of Mexico by members of the Miglietta lab at Texas A&M. DNA barcoding confirmed it to be a novel species. Luckily, it turned out be female and was brooding planula larvae. These larvae were then reared in captivity. I was given the opportunity to help grow the baby jellyfish into adults and photograph them along the way.
