Dr. Buss' work deals with studies of competition among the colonial marine invertebrates such as anemones and corals. Under previous NSF-funded research, he has investigated the genetics, developmental biology, and population/community ecology of sessile organism competition, contributing, respectively, to our understanding of the mechanisms of competition, the sources of variation in competitive ability, and the consequences of this variation on the organization of natural communities. Over the past five years, he has concentrated on competition in the hydractiniid hydroids. Our understanding of this system has now progressed to the point where we are prepared to: 1) Utilize techniques of single copy DNA-DNA hybridization to determine whether niche differentiation in hydractiniid hydroids arose via evolutionary divergence in resource utilization. 2) Utilize monoclonal antibody technology to isolate molecules used by these hydroids to recognize and overcome competitors. This work may lead to the first isolation of molecules, and ultimately genes, controlling competition in any animal. Award for this Accomplishment-Based Renewal program is strongly recommended.
