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The coleoid cephalopods (squid, octopus, and cuttlefish) have the largest brains among invertebrates and demonstrate extremely high behavioral complexity. Rosenthal, along with collaborators at Tel Aviv University, at Lund University and at St. Francis University, are studying how these creatures adapt to environmental changes.

In previous work, they discovered that cephalopods use a genetic process to modify neural proteins, called RNA editing, which helps them rapidly adjust to different conditions such as environmental temperature changes. Now, with the Kavli award, these investigators will explore the role of this process with other environmental perturbations that may impact cephalopod neurophysiology and behavior.

This global group of investigators will explore how RNA editing is involved in cephalopods’ ability to tolerate low oxygen levels, which occurs frequently in nearshore waters because of agricultural and effluent wastes. Understanding neural adaptability to oxygen levels is a crucial factor for cephalopod survival in the face of aquatic pollution and may shed light on other ways that oxygen levels and brain function are linked.   

The Kavli Foundation launched support for exploration in the emerging field of neurobiology and changing ecosystems in 2022. In August 2023, the foundation to catalyze research investigation into how neural processes – including molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms – are impacted by or resilient to changing environments.

The foundation is also proud to partner with the Grass Foundation to support , early-career scientists who spend 14 weeks at the Marine Biological Laboratory pursuing independent research projects in this field.

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The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery – exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the .

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