Boothbay Register reports on squid research hosted at the UMaine Darling Marine Center
The Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper published a story about squid research hosted at the Darling Marine Center (DMC). Throughout the summer, the DMC hosted a team of researchers from across the nation who were studying the muscles that control the unique and highly maneuverable movement of Atlantic longfin squid. Among the researchers was Joe Thompson, a professor of biology at Franklin and Marshall College and longtime summer researcher at the DMC. “In addition to understanding general principles of muscle physiology that apply to all animals, perhaps the principles discovered in squids can also improve performance for remotely operated vehicles,” said Thompson. Other universities involved with the project included Old Dominion University and Southern Methodist University. “I’ve worked at a few different marine labs,” Thompson said. “The DMC is unique because the community is small enough to allow you to get to know everybody but large enough to make connections with people studying questions in basic and applied science. There aren’t a lot of places where you can have all this variety and a strong sense of community.”