Project Grant 2138994

The University of Alabama was awarded a $413,773 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs to conduct research on Antarctic cumaceans. The goals of the research are to use cumaceans as a model system to explore invertebrate adaptations to the changing Antarctic environment. Key products and services include generating sequenced genomes from eight cumacean species and approximately 250 transcriptomes from 70 species. Researchers will also produce around 470 cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon barcodes from 100 cumacean species. Curated morphological reference collections will be deposited at the Smithsonian Institution, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, and the New Zealand National Water and Atmospheric Research Collection. Broader impacts include targeted training of early career students and underrepresented groups in cumacean biology, molecular techniques, and bioinformatics. Outreach efforts incorporate social media, engagement with diverse Alaskan school districts, and exhibits at Alabama museums. The research aims to advance understanding of cold-adapted invertebrate biology and responses to habitat changes, leveraging genomic and phylogenetic methods. The $413k award was granted on August 15, 2022 through the NSF's Polar Programs (CFDA 47.078), which supports basic research in polar regions.