My current research focus is on fish bioacoustics. Past research has generally concentrated on the identification of sound-producing fishes and the neurophysiology of sound production. The major obstacle in the past in studying the acoustic behavior of fishes in the field has been data acquisition and signal analysis. I developed new methods and equipment for recording fishes in the wild. The temporal patterns of fish reproduction at known sites can be recorded using hydrophones and radio-telemetry to shore or with underwater recorders.
Spatial coverage is possible using multiple systems.
The success and general applicability of a method for passive acoustic detection of fish reproduction ultimately depends on identifying species with specific mating sounds. 1998 Lobel, P. S. Coral Reef Conservation Guide for the Military . Legacy Resource Management Program, US DoD, Special Publ. Economakis, A. E. and P. S. Lobel. Aggregations of grey reef sharks, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos , at Johnston Atoll, Central Pacific Ocean.