Ithaca College

Sonke Johnsen, Duke University

4:00 p.m.
CNS 112 
Department Seminar Series

Refreshments served at 3:45, 1st floor CNS foyer. Bring your mug. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Nancy Pierce at 274-3161.  We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible

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The Johnsen Lab studies aspects of visual ecology. Recent and current projects include:

• the propagation of bioluminescent signals underwater,
• the visibility of aquatic animals,
• the relationship between tissue ultrastructure and transparency,
• the visual ecology of polarization vision,
• the effect of ultraviolet vision on predation, and
• optical sampling techniques for zooplankton

In addition, we do collaborative work on magnetoreception with Dr. Ken Lohmann at UNC, examining the following:

• The anatomical basis of magnetoreception
  The feasibility of navigation based on the earth's geomagnetic parameters.

The guiding principle is that the species and methods used must serve the central question. Methods used include: protein biochemistry, electron and light microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, behavioral studies, net sampling, submersible operations, SCUBA diving, optical measurements of tissue and environment, and mathematical modeling. Marine pelagic species have been a strong focus, but benthic, freshwater and terrestrial systems have also been examined.