Data from the Amsler/Baker/McClintock chemical ecology project at Palmer Station

Predators include several species of sea stars, amphipods, fish, and sea anemones. Unpalatable prey species are subjected to chemical extractions and the crude extracts added to artificial foods for bioassays to determine if unpalatability is caused by chemical defenses.

In most macroalgal and some invertebrate species, the nutritional quality of the prey items to predators has also been determined. For most macroalgal species, the relative toughness of the thalli has been determined. Chemical fractionation of crude extracts has been performed on a number of the macroalgal and invertebrate species that appear to be chemically defended.