Evolution of integrated behavior (US-India collaboration)

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This award is designated as a Global Venture Fund Award and is being co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering. A species' ability to withstand sudden changes in the environment is limited by internal and external factors. In this project, researchers from the US and India, using zebrafish as a model, join forces to identify the specific mechanisms by which populations undergo rapid shifts in behavior. This in an integrated project as the research team will conduct an ecological and genomic survey of Indian fish in the wild, and then transport fish to laboratories in the US for detailed tests of sensory ability. In addition, new statistical methods will be developed to predict the impact of genetic, physiological, and ecological mechanisms on the ability of zebrafish to adapt to sudden change. The results are expected to yield insight into the relative importance of genomic, physiological, and habitat constraints. Statistical and software tools to predict the impact of pollution and climate change on the survival of key organisms will be disseminated broadly to other researchers via the internet. The research will also increase basic knowledge on the behavior and ecology of zebrafish, a model organism used commonly in biomedical research. The collaborative team includes a third-grade teacher who will use internet videoconferencing to add an international component to classroom exercises based on this research.