James P. Townsend

Organismal biophysicist

James Ross Island, 2020; taken during the #icyinverts expedition.

I’m a scientist who is fascinated by living things and the adaptations that help them survive and thrive. Each animal and plant alive today represents a uniquely successful approach to “making it” in the world, and I aspire to understand and share their stories. I use a variety of techniques, including spectroscopy, microscopy, mathematical modeling, and DNA sequencing to help make sense of their diverse lives.

Much of my work has been focused on the physiology and ecology of ctenophores. The diet of these peculiar and oft-overlooked, jellyfish-like animals may help us to better understand open ocean carbon cycling and ctenophores’ unique system for capturing prey may inspire new kinds of powerful medical adhesives. Among the oldest of animal lineages, the study of ctenophores also raises many important questions about our understanding of evolution, and continues to spur methodological debates therein.

recent publications

  1. A mesopelagic ctenophore representing a new family, with notes on family-level taxonomy in Ctenophora: Vampyroctena delmarvensis gen. nov. sp. nov.(Vampyroctenidae, fam. nov.)
    Townsend, James P, Tassia, Michael G, Damian-Serrano, Alejandro, Whelan, Nathan V, Halanych, Kenneth M, and Sweeney, Alison M
    Marine Biodiversity 2020
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  2. Colloblasts act as a biomechanical sensor for suitable prey in Pleurobrachia
    Townsend, James P, Merces, George OT, Castellanos, Gabriel P, and Pickering, Mark
    bioRxiv 2020
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