This laboratory investigates the behavior and sensory biology of cephalopods and other marine organisms.
Current emphasis is on testing sexual selection theory, using squid and cuttlefish.
Field and laboratory studies focus on mechanisms of agonistic behavior, female mate choice, and sperm competition. The latter studies involve DNA fingerprinting to determine paternity and help assess alternative mating tactics. Field studies are conducted locally and on coral reefs. Laboratory studies on the mechanisms and functions of polarization sensitivity in cephalopods are also underway. The functional morphology and neurobiology of the chromatophore system of cephalopods are also studied on a variety of cephalopod species, and image analysis techniques are being developed to study crypsis and the mechanisms that enable cryptic body patterns to be neurally regulated by visual input.