Chemical Cues in the Ocean

Abstract

We are all at the mercy of molecules: hormones affect our sexual interests, toxins give us food poisoning, polluting chemicals give us asthma, and the smell of Krispy Kreme tugs on the steering wheel whenever we drive along Ponce de Leon Ave. Molecules play an even greater role in the lives of marine plants, animals, and microorganisms. On coral reefs and in the open ocean, chemicals affect who eats who, who settles down next to who, and who can fight off a potentially deadly infection. In lab and field experiments, Georgia Tech faculty and students are working to understand the role of natural chemical compounds in the survival and reproduction of marine organisms.