. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. • Cloned Genetic Code Could Mean Year-Round Soft-Shell Crab Dinners Soft-shell crabs, a popular seafood delicacy, might soon be more than just a spring and summer treat. A team of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant researchers has successfully cloned the genetic code for the blue crab's molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH). Decreased MIH levels trigger the crabs molting process. Crabs molt, or shed their shells, to grow. For a few hours after shedding, the crustaceans are soft and can be eaten whole. The results have
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. • Cloned Genetic Code Could Mean Year-Round Soft-Shell Crab Dinners Soft-shell crabs, a popular seafood delicacy, might soon be more than just a spring and summer treat. A team of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant researchers has successfully cloned the genetic code for the blue crab's molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH). Decreased MIH levels trigger the crabs molting process. Crabs molt, or shed their shells, to grow. For a few hours after shedding, the crustaceans are soft and can be eaten whole. The results have the potential to revolutionize the soft-shell crab industry. To date, the industry has been seasonal and limited by the availability of harvesting crabs in the molt stage. Forcing crabs to molt on command could produce an abundant, year-round and controllable supply of soft-shell crabs for the seafood industry and consumers. First, the researchers built a high- tech genetic library of cloned DNA material. Then they successfully cloned the MIH gene material. By replicating the material, the scientists can begin experimenting with ways to block the release of MIH in the crab, thus allowing it to molt. To successfully clone large quantities of MIH cheaply and effi- ciently, researchers have inserted MIH- gene codes into insect cells to take advantage of their DNA replicating machinery. Using this biotechnology research, crab shedders may soon be able to molt crabs on demand, rocketing the soft-shell industry. • Volkswagen Bug Takes a Dive for Science A gleaming white 1969 Volkswagen Beetle was deliberately dropped beneath the waves of Lake Erie in June to prove a point. When the car is pulled from the lake bottom in late fall, it should have a new exterior — a thick coat of zebra mussels. The encrusted car will then become a major museum exhibit that demonstrates the cata- strophic effects of this nonnative species in the Great Lakes. The American Museum of Natural History i
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