Lisbeth Francis received a BA in biology from Antioch College and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. She has taught behavioral ecology and invertebrate biology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Victoria, the University of Washington, Antioch College, and Bates College. Since 1999 she has been studying sea anemones and their nematocysts at the University of Western Washington's Shannon Point Marine Center.

Dr. Francis studies the relationship of anemone ecology with anemone body size, growth by cloning, and the evolution of specialized behaviors, organs and organelles for selectively attacking either competitors or predators.

On the Pacific coast of North America, a single polyp of the clonal anemones such as Anthopleura elegantissima and Metridium senile can grow, divide, and spread to cover large areas of the rocky shore by attacking and displacing neighboring anemones. Given that success story, why isn't cloning universal among anemones? And why do these clonal species produce highly specialized structures used only for damaging competing anemones, while the large plumose anemone, Metridium farcimen, produces only specialized structures for attacking predators (but not competitors)?

Recent work (Francis, 2004; Kramer and Francis, 2004) shows that the size of the 'stinging capsules' within the cells of these anemones increases with body size. This suggests that individual body size impacts form and function at the level of cells and organelles, as well as gross anatomy. Thus the ability to make larger, more potent defensive cnidae may be one reason that larger-bodied aclonal species have sacrificed the potential for unlimited clonal growth .

Selected Publications

Francis, Lisbeth. (2004). Microscaling: Why larger anemones have longer cnidae. Biol. Bull. 207: 116-129.

Kramer, A. and L. Francis. (2004). Predation resistance and nematocyst scaling for Metridium senile and M. farcimen. Biol. Bull. 207: 130-140.

Pearse, V. B. and L. Francis. (2000). Anthopleura sola, a new species, solitary sibling species to the aggregating sea anemone, A. elegantissima (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Actiniidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 113:596-608.

Francis, L. 1991. Sailing downwind: aerodynamic performance of the Velella sail. J. exp. Biol. 158: 117-132.

Wight, K., L. Francis and D. Eldridge. 1990. Food aversion learning by the hermit crab Pagurus granosimanus. Biol. Bull. 178: 205-209.

Francis, L. (1988). Cloning and aggression among sea anemones (Coelenterata: Actiniaria) of the rocky shore. Biol. Bull. 150: 241-253.

Francis, L. (1985). Design of a small cantilevered sheet: the sail of Velella velella. Pacific Science 39: 1-15.

Wright, M. M. and L. Francis. 1984. Predator deterrence by flexible shell extensions of the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus. The Veliger 27: 140-142.

Francis. L. (1979). Contrast between solitary and clonal lifestyles in the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima. Am. Zool. 19: 669-681.

Francis, L. (1976). Social Organization within clones of the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima. Biol. Bull. 150: 361-376.

Francis, L. (1973). Intraspecific aggression and its effect on the distribution of Anthopleura elegantissima and some related sea anemones. Biol. Bull. 144:73-92.