The Sensory Biology course explores the sensory worlds of various marine animals through research projects and lectures. They will show the often unique sensory windows through which marine animals sense behaviorally relevant signals in their environment, including chemical signals, water flow, sound, light, and electromagnetic fields. Students will present a summary of one of the lecture topics for the class in lieu of written exams. The research projects are focused on chemical and hydrodynamic sensing of crustacea and fish since that is where expertise and facilities are world class. Most projects involve behavior observation and analysis combined with careful control and measurement of stimulus.
Students choose a project and write a research proposal at the end of the first week.
The proposal is based on pilot studies, literature review, and discussions with the teaching staff. Research results are presented in posters and a brief paper at the end of the course. The course will provide not only an appreciation for the surprising unseen worlds of animals underwater, it will also teach the basic research skills necessary to conduct rigorous experiments and present them to an audience clearly and incisively.