By: Cassidy Delamarter, University Communications and Marketing
The next time you head to the coast to enjoy the Tampa Bay waters, you may stumble upon a Cyerce piercei 鈥� a recently discovered sea slug species that is being named after Sidney 鈥淪kip鈥� Pierce, emeritus professor of integrative biology at the 哔咔漫画.
After a 45-year career dedicated to intricately studying the cells of animals with a focus on sea slugs, Pierce鈥檚 colleagues found it fitting to honor him with his own species.
鈥淣ow my name will go on for a long time after I鈥檓 gone,鈥� said Pierce, who retired in 2014. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor.鈥�
The transparent sea slug was found by Patrick Joseph Krug, a professor of biological science at California State University in Los Angeles. Pierce and Krug collaborated for two decades 鈥� sharing data, sea slug specimens and ideas.
鈥淚 have always wanted to name a species to honor Skip鈥檚 long career studying the sea slugs in the group I also work on, and this seemed like an ideal fit: a species native to the Tampa Bay area where he did so much outstanding work for decades at USF,鈥� Krug said.
As published in the of the Linnean Society, the Cyerce piercei lives in the shallow waters of Tampa Bay and offshore reefs near St. Petersburg. Frequently found munching on algae, the slug鈥檚 greyish-purple head and long, detachable appendages along its back make it a striking animal, according to Krug.
鈥淚 was not expecting to find new species in Florida, but in this study, we found two 鈥� one in Tampa Bay, and one restricted to the Florida Keys,鈥� he said.
Krug discovered the slugs while on a research trip where he went snorkeling and diving to better understand how the Gulf Stream current limits sea slug migration in and out of Florida from Caribbean populations.
Pierce collecting sea slugs
Pierce, too, spent most of his research trips collecting sea slugs from all over the tropical Atlantic and Pacific.
鈥淪ome of my favorite memories with Skip are going out into the field to collect sea slugs,鈥� said Michael Middlebrooks, co-author of the research and a USF integrative biology alumnus now working as an associate professor of biology at The University of Tampa. 鈥淚 am very excited about having a species named after him. Unlike many other biochemists and physiologists, Skip was always hands-on in both the field and lab aspects of the research.鈥�
After earning his doctoral degree in 1970, Pierce began studying a variety of marine species, but pivoted his focus to sea slugs in the 1980s to investigate their unique ability to capture and successfully use the chloroplasts found in algae. Chloroplasts contain the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll which captures sunlight and converts it into useful energy. Plants are the only organisms that can convert chloroplasts into energy.
鈥淭here are slugs that you can starve for nine months and as long as you shine a light on them, they would happily stay alive using photosynthesis done by the captured chloroplasts,鈥� Pierce said. 鈥淎nimals do not photosynthesize, they just can鈥檛. We do not have the biochemical or molecular equipment to do it.鈥�
Pierce is one of just a few researchers in the world who was determined to understand how the slugs were managing to maintain the biochemical function of the chloroplasts 鈥� a task that would require the algae鈥檚 DNA. He believed the answer may reveal more than just the sea slugs鈥� superpower.
鈥淚f we can figure out how the slugs manage to do it, we would know how to successfully move genes into a cell nucleus,鈥� Pierce said. 鈥淲e could start curing cancer and many other genetic disorders with this kind of information. The sea slugs have the answer, I am convinced they do.鈥�
Pierce being interviewed by media on his research
His research swept the globe, grabbing the attention of international newspapers, magazines, and even a French documentary, 鈥淭he Power of Plants.鈥� To recognize Pierce鈥檚 research and dedication, he was awarded in 2012.
鈥淭he contributions to science from Skip are incredible,鈥� Middlebrooks said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 published 100 papers in his scientific career covering the range of the animal kingdom and even some organisms outside of it.鈥�
Despite making global headlines, Pierce says the real highlight of his career was working with his graduate students 鈥� an impact that will carry his legacy with each scientist he helped along the way.
鈥淚 literally would not be where I am today without the support I received from Skip,鈥� Middlebrooks said. 鈥淚t was conversations with him that inspired me to start working with sea slugs.鈥�
鈥淥nce you鈥檙e retired, the literature continues to develop and people stop quoting you as much and referencing your work, but I have former students who are now studying sea slugs and I鈥檓 confident someone will pick up where I left off eventually,鈥� Pierce said. 鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 just honored that Pat remembered me enough to do this.鈥�