Our January evening speaker is Colleen Hecker, Master Student at Florida Atlantic University

How do we know who’s who in the octopus world? It’s not as simple as you’d think! Here in the tropical western Atlantic, there are numerous octopus species that look the same, act the same, and live in the same areas. This makes telling them apart tricky! One way to differentiate these hard-to-discern species is their DNA. These species that look similar but are genetically different are called cryptic species, and the octopus world is full of them! Recent suggestions indicate that South Florida’s common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is actually representative of a cryptic species called the American octopus (Octopus americanus). Using genetics, I will be able to determine if this name change is appropriate for South Florida’s Octopus. Let’s unravel the DNA of cryptic octopus species and find out Who’s that Octopus?

Registration is required to attend: https://lrdrivercenter.org/events-calendar/lecture-series-2-678-910/?occurrence=2024-01-19&time=1705687200 

This event is not recommended for children under the age of 14.