About Us

Driven by the enthusiasm of attendees at the 2018 1st International Cassiopea Workshop, CassiopeaBase emerged to connect and inform the growing community of Cassiopea researchers. This digital hub serves as the central point for updates on the annual International Cassiopea Workshop, a vital gathering for the field. Beyond workshop information, CassiopeaBase offers essential online resources, including a publication database, an interactive biogeography map, and shared laboratory protocols. Recognizing the need for more than just information dissemination, the platform was designed to foster community growth through interactive features like the polyp request page.

The Cassiopea research community unites scientists using upside-down jellyfish as a powerful model for understanding broad aspects of organismal biology. The dedication of Dr. Mónica Medina, Dr. William (Bill) Fitt, Dr. Laura Miller, and Dr. Aki Ohdera has been instrumental in its expansion to include researchers with diverse expertise. While Dr. Medina’s efforts revitalized Cassiopea as a key system for studying cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis, the foundational work of Dr. Fitt and Dr. Miller’s pioneering vision to explore fluid dynamics using Cassiopea established it as a truly multidisciplinary system for tackling fundamental biological questions. Consequently, the community’s founders emphasized interdisciplinary research, leading to Cassiopea‘s prominence as a model for investigating topics ranging from toxinology and development to sleep (reviewed in Ohdera et al. 2018).

As the Cassiopea community expands and diversifies, it remains committed to the core values established early on. As articulated in our “Non-Discrimination Statement,” the community champions equal representation and opportunity, celebrating the breadth of research and valuing the unique contributions of each member. We continue this work through the establishment of CASSI Inc., a non-profit established by the founding members of CassiopeaBase, which will fund raise to provide fellowship and expand research opportunities and resources to attend the International Cassiopea Workshop.