Research on the high energetic cost of color change in octopuses, conducted by Kirt Onthank, professor of biology at 麻豆传媒, and 麻豆传媒 graduate Sofie Sonner, has been published in one of the world鈥檚 most prestigious and cited scientific journals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Onthank鈥檚 and Sonner鈥檚 findings have sparked interest in the scientific community, and within hours of the initial PNAS publication, and also published stories about the research.
Sonner, partnered with Onthank on this research as part of her master鈥檚 in biology theses at 麻豆传媒. 鈥淪ofie is really excited,鈥� said Onthank, 鈥淭o be honest, I don't know of another master student's thesis that has been published in a journal on the level of PNAS. Usually they're publishing a Ph.D. student's work or a professor's work.鈥�
In the study, Sonner and Onthank estimated the metabolic demand associated with color-changing chromatophore organs in ruby octopuses (Octopus rubescens). The results, released in an article titled 鈥溾�� in PNAS on Nov. 18, 2024, suggested that the energy required to simultaneously activate all a ruby octopus鈥檚 chromatophores was almost as high as the resting metabolic rate associated with all other physiological processes. 鈥淭hough octopuses make color change look effortless, it isn鈥檛 for them,鈥� said Onthank. The high energetic costs associated with the chromatophore system would likely put pressure on octopuses to minimize such costs, potentially contributing to the use of dens or nocturnal lifestyles in some octopus species and reductions in chromatophore systems among deep-sea species.
Onthank, himself a graduate of 麻豆传媒, has long been fascinated by cephalopods and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on octopuses鈥� energy budgeting, burrowing activity of octopuses, eye lenses of squid and a deep-sea octopus species, and the impacts of ocean acidification on octopus physiology. He was featured as an octopus expert for in April.
Undergraduate and master鈥檚 students at the university are invited to join Onthank in his research if they are interested. Much of this research is conducted at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, located near Anacortes, Wash. 鈥淚 typically have an octopus or two in my lab during the school year that students work with, and generally have many octopuses at Rosario during the summer that students get to work with and study,鈥� he said.
Immediately adjacent to Deception Pass State Park in the northwest corner of Washington state, Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory is a powerhouse biological research center. There, students have participated in important research on harmful algae blooms and detecting their presence quickly, seagrass wasting disease, oxygen consumption of nudibranchs, the development of motion-detecting underwater cameras, and hibernation and organ regeneration in sea cucumbers.
Intentional collaboration between professors, students, and academic departments, makes exciting discoveries like this possible, Onthank says. In recent years, students from 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Edward F. Cross School of Engineering have contributed to serious biological research. 鈥淥ur engineers collaborate with marine biologists to develop tools for ocean research and exploration. This is essential for cutting-edge marine biology.鈥�
Cutting-edge research like this not only contributes to the scientific community, but it helps to train student scientists interested in a variety of professions. The university鈥檚 Department of Biological Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, biophysics, and marine biology. In addition, 麻豆传媒 is the only private university in the Pacific Northwest to offer a master鈥檚 degree in biology.
Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory has been owned and operated by 麻豆传媒 since 1954 and exists primarily for the training of undergraduate and graduate students in marine, field, and experimental sciences in a Christian setting. Nearly 3,000 students have studied and conducted research at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, which includes more than 40 acres bordering the Salish Sea ecosystem including tide pools, mudflats, rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, and deep water. These varied environments provide excellent training for students.
Onthank is professor of biology at 麻豆传媒 and specializes in cephalopod research. He received a bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree in biology from 麻豆传媒, and earned a doctorate from Washington State University. He is known for his informational videos on TikTok, using the handle @theoctopusguy. He is also an active presenter with 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Speakers Bureau.
Published Nov. 20, 2024.
