Research
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"Umwelt" was coined by German biologist Jakob von Uexküll and roughly translates to mean "self-centered world". The world experienced by each animal is defined largely by the abilities of the organism’s sensory systems. Sensory systems allow animals to sample their environment in ways that are unique and adaptive to individuals. As a sensory ecologist, my research utilizes behavioral, physiological, and neural techniques to understand the mechanisms and neural processing of sensory cues used in animal navigation.
Magnetic sensing
The ability to sense Earth’s magnetic field is widespread among animals, and representatives from every vertebrate taxon have this sensory capability. Magnetically sensitive animals can extract and utilize different magnetic field parameters to accomplish various navigational tasks. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying magnetic field detection are unknown, and receptors have not been localized yet in any vertebrate species. We conducted various studies to investigate the sensory mechanisms, where sensory cells are located, and what parts of the brain are processing magnetic information. This work involved both field and lab-based studies in various species, including the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), Gulf flounder (Paralichthys albiguttata), oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), and the green-and-black poison frog (Dendrobates auratus).
Auditory sensing
Many species rely on sound signaling and auditory reception for navigation, prey location, and intraspecific communication. One fish species in particular, the oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), depends on acoustic communication for reproductive success. We conducted various studies to determine how anthropogenic (i.e., human-made) sounds affect the calling behavior of toadfish.
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