A multidisciplinary approach is used to document the effects of variations in salinity on the structure and function of a chemosensory system in the blue crab, a species that ranges from seawater to freshwater. Experiments focus upon the olfactory sensory cells of the crab, using animals acclimated to a range of different external salt concentrations. Using electron microscopy, the structural details of the sensory cells will be examined to discover the features that may be transformed in altered salinity conditions. The composition of the fluid, which bathes the input processes of sensory neurons, is also monitored in relation to salinity and its relationship to the hemolymph ("blood") and the external environment of the crab. Neurophysiological techniques are used to define how the responses of chemically sensitive neurons are affected by altered salinity, as well. By integrating these approaches, we expect that this study will contribute to our understanding of structural and functional adaptations that can maintain chemosensory function under conditions of osmotic and ionic stress to the animal.
