Abstract
Cassiopea sp. an emerging model for studying holobiont associations, is often studied through the cultivation of aposymbiotic and asexually reproducing polyps developed from a long-standing lab culture. However, in order to accurately explore the role of microbial symbionts on Cassiopea development and immune processes, a protocol must be developed for cultivating symbiotic polyps in laboratory settings. This project sought to develop a standardized methodology for cultivating a stable symbiotic polyp culture from wild-caught medusa. Stable polyps were able to be cultivated by growing small population sizes (40-50 individuals) in small glass bowls, out of direct light, with 1mL of extract taken from decaying red mangrove leaves, as well as low disturbance and semi-frequent water changes. Infection and natural die off resulted in a highest final survivorship of around 15% after a span of 3 weeks. Initial trials exploring the use of 12 well plates have shown promise in terms of survivorship percentages and duration but lack uniformity of development as seen in previous trials.