Last spring, Emily Lekas journeyed to South Caicos in the Caribbean for a study abroad program, where she researched Callistoctopus furvus, the sand octopus. The Atlantic species is nocturnal, likes shallow waters, and lives on sandy bottoms, where it can bury itself to hide from predators.

“I did not get to handle an octopus, but we did find a small one in the first week of the program who stuck around for a while,” Lekas said. "That was the first octopus we found, and everyone gathered around with fascination. I think there were at least five GoPros in the water all filming the same thing."

Her research group looked for answers to several questions. Among them: Does artificial red light impact the natural behaviors of the octopus when filming at night, as compared to white light?

They found no difference, as red light still appeared to have an effect on the creatures. This was surprising, she said, because “most scientists agree that octopuses cannot see red light very well. Octopus biology is complex, and further research is crucial to understand this understudied species.” 

Lekas is drawn to marine invertebrates, partly because of how much information they can offer humans.

"Thousands of natural compounds that we as humans use in antibiotics and medicines come from invertebrates like sea sponges,” she said. “Charismatic animals like dolphins and turtles often overshadow the inverts, who are capable of complex biological activities even though they don’t have cute flippers to wave at you.” 

She will continue her studies of marine invertebrates when she takes part in a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration internship in the summer of 2024, where she will be matched to a mentor.

“I have always admired their research and hope to work in a NOAA lab after graduate school," Lekas said. "I'm excited for this opportunity to grow as a scientist and explore the natural world with scientists pioneering research in marine biology.”

This fall, along with her classes and a part-time job caring for the University’s aquariums, she will participate in the UR Scuba Club, which she organized last year. “We have not been on dives together yet, but we have met as a group several times to discuss the club's goals, visit a local Richmond dive shop, and share salty stories,” she joked.

Lekas also will have some tales of her own to tell from South Caicos, where she dove nearly 40 times, sometimes at night, as deep as 100 feet.

"I saw north Atlantic right whales and reef sharks, swam with dolphins, dissected lionfish, clipped and replanted corals for restoration projects, and studied dozens of fish and invertebrates,” Lekas said. “This trip was the single best experience of my life.”