Project Meduza in the context of its historical time.

COSTELLO J.H.; COLIN S.P.; GRAHAM W.; DAIBIRI J.O.; BENOVIC A.; LUCIC D.; ONOFRI V.; MOROVIC M.; MALEJ A.; TURK V.; FLANDER-PUTRLE V.; MIANZAN H. W.; ALVAREZ COLOMBO G.; ACHA E. M.

Annales, Series Historia Naturalis

Scientific and Research Center of the Republic of Slovenia

Lugar: Koper; Año: 2009 vol. 19 p. 8 - 10

1408-533x

In 2001, the National Science Foundation, in union with the Croatian and Slovenian science ministries, provided initial support for the international collaboration that has become the Meduza Project. The program has started with the goal of international collaboration. The scientists involved in the project were glad to oblige because we wanted to work together. Our initial objective was simple - use this international collaboration to develop exciting scientific research involving medusae in Southern Adriatic waters. During the subsequent eight years we collaborated on six joint summer research trips. This international collaboration has been of great importance personally and professionally to all of the investigators and institutions involved in the project, but we now ask what objective difference has the project made scientifically? We approach that question by comparing what we thought we might accomplish at the project´s outset to how we now view research on gelatinous zooplankton because of research in the Meduza project. Work outside the program also has affected our views but we describe here research produced through the project that has contributed substantially to broadening our perspectives in three major areas of investigation: modes of propulsion, mechanisms of predation, and trophic significance of medusae.