MRI/RUI Acquisition of Behavioral Tracking and Environmental Control Systems to Support Research and Research Training in Fish Acoustic Behavior

在Martin Connaughton博士的指导下，华盛顿学院获得了一笔赠款，用于提供行为跟踪设备和实验设施/环境控制系统，以支持学生在鱼类声学行为方面的研究和研究培训。交流是生物间行为的基本机制。然而，在动物交流中，缺乏数据来确定信号的哪些组成部分对确定接受者的反应行为是重要的。特别是，关于鱼类声学信号与行为之间的功能关系的信息缺乏。这一点很重要，因为许多鱼类依靠声音信号来求爱和交配。这项工作的目的是确定哪种声音信号成分会引起或改变一种发声鱼类的惊吓和求爱行为。这笔拨款将通过提供研究所需的行为监测硬件和软件、实验设施和环境控制系统来补充这项研究。听觉处理的基本相似性表明，鱼类和高等脊椎动物对行为相关信息的编码可能相似。因此，本研究中从简单的通信系统中获得的信号编码的理解可以应用于高等脊椎动物中更复杂的声音通信形式的信号进化。该提案的更广泛意义包括加强华盛顿学院的科学环境，这是一所小型文理学院，致力于为学生提供研究和研究培训的机会。提供最先进的行为跟踪系统和环境支持仪器将使学生研究人员接触到先进的、基于计算机的技术来研究行为和交流。该仪器还将用于通过动手实验练习向海洋生物学和鱼类学课程的学生介绍前沿研究方法和实验设计。该仪器将与当地美国农业部水生病理学实验室合作，扩大学生在校内外培训的机会。这项工作在科学上的重要性在于促进对哪些信号成分引发或改变该物种的惊吓和求爱行为的理解。本研究结果对高等脊椎动物的声通信研究具有潜在的应用价值。

A grant has been awarded to Washington College under the direction of Dr. Martin Connaughton to provide behavioral tracking equipment and experimental facilities/environmental control systems to support student research and research training in fish acoustic behavior. Communication is the fundamental mechanism underlying inter-organisms behaviors. However, in animal communication there is a paucity of data identifying which components of a signal are important in determining the response behavior of the recipient. In particular, information is lacking on the functional relationship between acoustic signals and behavior in fishes. This is important as many species of fish rely on acoustic signals for courtship and mating. The goal of this work is to determine which acoustic signal components elicit or modify startle and courtship behaviors in a species of sound producing fish. This grant will compliment this research by providing the behavioral monitoring hardware and software, experimental facilities and environmental control systems required for the study. Fundamental similarities in auditory processing suggest the possibility of similar encoding of behaviorally relevant information in fishes and higher vertebrates. As such, an understanding of signal coding garnered from the simple communication system in this study could be applied to signal evolution in more complex forms of acoustic communication in higher vertebrates. The broader significance of this proposal includes enhancing the scientific environment at Washington College, a small liberal arts college dedicated to providing its students with research and research training opportunities. Provision of the state-of-the-art behavioral tracking system and environmental support instrumentation proposed in this grant would expose student researchers to advanced, computer-based techniques for studying behavior and communication. This instrumentation will also be used to introduce students in marine biology and ichthyology courses to cutting-edge research methods and experimental design through hands-on laboratory exercises. A collaboration with a local USDA aquatic pathology lab will be forged with this instrumentation, broadening the opportunities for student training on and off campus. The scientific importance of the proposed work lies in advancing the understanding of which signal components elicit or modify startle and courtship behaviors in this species. Findings from this study are potentially applicable to studies of acoustic communication in higher vertebrates.