Position Title
Professor
- NPB
Degrees
1990 PhD (Zoology) University of Washington
1983 BS (Biology) Stanford University
1983 MS (Biology) Stanford University
Research Interests
Sensory ecology, Olfaction, Organism/Environment interactions, Conservation and Enrichment
A major focus of my laboratory is to better understand the sensory ecology of other organisms, and how these systems are shaped by evolution. My specialty is olfaction - the sense of smell - and much of my research has focused on exploring how marine birds and fishes use smell in the natural environment. I have worked in areas ranging from olfactory homing in salmon, to olfactory foraging, navigation and individual recognition in birds, and in particular, petrels and albatrosses. Because our world is experiencing rapid, anthropogenic change, our work increasingly interfaces with problems associated with global climate, habitat loss or degradation and by-catch concerns in marine fisheries. Many of the species we study are currently threatened or endangered. In line with this concern, we also conduct research on the proximate and evolutionary factors contributing to phenotypic plasticity, and this work has been carried out primarily with model fish species (various species of desert pupfish and salmon).
Department and Center Affiliations
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
Center for Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture (CABA)
ProfessionalSocieties
AAAS
Association for Chemorecption Sciences (ACHEMS)
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
CBS Grad Group Affiliations
Animal Behavior
Specialties / Focus
Animal Behavior
- Behavior/Physiology/Morphology
- Physiology and Behavior
Graduate Groups not Housed in CBS
Ecology Graduate Group
Field Sites
French sub-Antarctic
Bon Portage Island, CANADA
Curaçao, Netherlands, Antilles
Teaching Interests
Sensory ecology, Olfaction, Organism/Environment interactions, Conservation
Courses
NPB 102 Mechanisms of Animal Behavior (Spring)
ANB 201 Grant writing / Advanced Methods in Behavior (Spring)