Intertidal seaweeds “eavesdrop” on injured neighbors, and maybe they “talk”…
A paper published in Scientific Reports by myself and co-authors Jennifer Butler and Neal Smith (undergraduate participants in SPMC’s MIMSUP and REU programs) shows that intertidal sea lettuce can detect and respond to airborne DMS (dimethyl sulfide), a chemical released by sea lettuce when they are grazed or physiologically stressed. Several days after being exposed to airborne DMS, sea lettuce produced higher concentrations of DMSP (dimethylsulfoniopropionate), which has both defensive and antioxidant functions. Because the receiving seaweeds are detecting and responding to infochemicals released by injured neighbors, but the injured seaweeds do not benefit by the interaction, the receiving seaweeds are said to be “eavesdropping” on signals emitted by the injured seaweeds. However, the paper points out potential circumstances in which the emitters may be “talking” and benefitting from the emitted signals. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30881-9