Posted by ew509
3 July 2026Congratulations to lab alumni Dr Susanne Vogeler for winning the University of Exeter’s Early Career Researchers’ ‘Images of Research’ Competition 2025. Susanne also claimed first in the ‘Arts and Culture’ award for her stunning image of a female European abalone (Haliotis tuberculata) mid-spawning! Yes, those greenish things being shot up into the sky are eggs!
The European abalone, also called the “green ormer,” is a sea snail found along the coasts of the British Channel Islands, France, and the Mediterranean Sea. Female abalones spawn by forcefully expelling eggs through openings in their shell, a process that begins with vigorous movement and convulsions to build the required pressure. Nearby males release sperm into the water just beforehand, which helps trigger the females to spawn. This image was captured during induced spawning in the laboratory as part of research into the biological pathways that regulate early larval development and metamorphosis. Abalones are both ecologically and economically important. They are valued for their meat and for their shells, which are used in decorative crafts. However, overfishing, pollution, and the effects of climate change have caused populations to decline, and the species is now classified as vulnerable. Understanding how their development is regulated may support future conservation efforts.
Dr. Susanne Vogeler & Mr Callum Teeling