Thesis Student Projects
My lab explores fish-focused questions in the marine and freshwater realm. This page features some of the projects New College thesis students are working on (which are not limited to fish).
Alaskan pipefish ecology
One thesis student completed her thesis in Sitka, Alaska. She performed pipefish surveys at two sites to measure body condition and reproductive allocation in relation to Pacific Herring spawns.
Left: Syngnathus californiensis
Right: Syngnathus leptorhynchus
Photos courtesy of Katie Sands
Pufferfish cognition
The figure eight pufferfish, Tetraodon biocellatus, is a euryhaline (meaning they can tolerate a wide range of salinities) fish species native to Southeast Asia. This biopsychology thesis student is studying their ability to remember training tasks as it relates to different salinity environments.
A photo of Tetraodon biocellatus from Aquarium Glaser
Superficial neuromasts
Neuromasts are sensory organs found in all bony fishes. Superficial neuromasts can be viewed using an in vivo fluorescent dye to stain the pores. Mapping them allows us to look at species-, sex-, and population-specific differences in these sensory organs. Along with potentially providing information about the behaviors associated with sensation, they may also provide insight into evolutionary divergence in morphological traits.
Photos courtesy of Brielle Spencer
Shrimp phenotypes
Two thesis students are currently investigating size and phenotype patterns using Tozeuma carolinense shrimp. These projects investigate hypotheses related to habitat preference and seasonality.
Pictured to the left: Tozeuma carolinense green and clear phenotypes
Pictured to the right: Hippolyte green and brown/clear phenotypes
