BIO

Maat Henderson (she/her) earned her Associate of Science degree in Biology at Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Maat is currently earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in Tallahassee, Florida. Her journey to wanting to be a doctor started 2,577 miles away, on the small island of Dominica. While residing in a collectivistic culture back in Dominica, Maat learned the value of helping others, especially those who lack the means for medical assistance. Reflecting on her culture, medicine has been the intersection of where her passion and the needs of her community lie. This past year Maat has participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), where she has worked in the Biological Science department in the Levitan Lab, under the research mentorship of a Ph.D. Candidate Melanie Medina. or her doctoral research, Melanie is interested in studying reproduction and mate choice in marine gastropods, particularly sea slugs. Maat has investigated how does a local species of s sea slugs recognize their potential mates using mucus. Maat has learned the importance of teamwork and communication as a UROP.

Mate Recognition Using Mucus in a Simultaneous Hermaphrodite

Abstract

We do not know much about what affects mating behaviors in simultaneous hermaphrodites. In gastropods a mechanism that has been proposed to aid in mate recognition and search is mucus composition. Mucus is multifunctional aiding in both reproduction, and communication. I will test if the simultaneous hermaphrodite sea slug Doto chica can use mucus to differentiate between phenotypes, and for mate recognition.

Keywords: mate choice, mucus, hermaphrodites, reproduction