Active photolocation: A new frontier in active sensing

主动光定位：主动传感的新领域

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04984
• 负责人: Bitton, PierrePaul
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Memorial University of Newfoundland
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=715253
• 关键词: Active; photolocation; new; frontier; active

Active sensory systems, which rely on self-generated energy to gather information about the environment, have been well studied in several animals. For example, bats emit high-pitched sounds and detect their reflection to locate prey items, avoid obstacles, and communicate with conspecifics. The main active sensory modalities, echolocation and electrolocation, have received much attention, and generated a tremendous amount of influential findings. However, active photolocation, the process of sensing the environment through light emission or redirection, is virtually unstudied. This is surprising since a large number of deep-sea fish species, and several nocturnal reef fish species possess light producing organs near their eyes. These flashlights' are hypothetically used for prey/predator detection, luring prey, and intraspecific communication such as group cohesion and individual recognition. However, the proposed functions of these light organs are mostly speculative; only a single study has quantified photophore use in flashlight fishes. Furthermore, recent studies, by a group of colleagues and myself, demonstrated that many diurnal fish possess structures on their irises that redirect or change the quality of ambient light, allowing them to increase their probability of detecting potential prey and predators. Diurnal active photolocation could be widespread in fish, and work from our group has laid the foundation for studying this behaviour and associated ecological and evolutionary consequences. With my first Discovery Grant I will initiate a comprehensive research programme aimed at understanding the mechanisms and functions of active photolocation. In the first five years, I will establish a long-term experimental program on 1) nocturnal active photolocation using the flashlight fish Anomalops katoptron as a model, and 2) diurnal active photolocation using the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. My studies will provide a novel framework for testing trade-offs constraining the evolution of active photolocation, but also have ramifications on our understanding of the co-evolution of fish eyes among species. Active photolocation is heavily neglected in the active sensing literature, consequently offering exciting opportunities for novel discoveries. This research program will be unique in Canada and therefore make a distinctive Canadian contribution to the international study of active sensing. My research program will provide a multidisciplinary training environment for the next generation of scientist. My students will gain broadly transferable skills through e.g., animal husbandry and care, scientific SCUBA diving and other field work, and train with state of the art techniques including spectroradiometry, multispectral imaging, and advanced visual modelling. All research results will be communicated to the scientific community and the general public through the publishing of pre-print or open-access articles.

主动感觉系统依靠自身产生的能量来收集有关环境的信息，已经在几种动物中得到了很好的研究。例如，蝙蝠发出高音调的声音，并检测它们的反射来定位猎物，避开障碍物，并与同类交流。主要的主动感觉方式，回声定位和电定位，受到了广泛的关注，并产生了大量有影响力的发现。然而，主动光定位，即通过光发射或重定向来感知环境的过程，实际上还没有被研究。这是令人惊讶的，因为大量的深海鱼类和几种夜间珊瑚鱼在眼睛附近拥有发光器官。这些手电筒被假设用于猎物/捕食者检测，引诱猎物和种内交流，如群体凝聚力和个体识别。然而，这些发光器官的功能大多是推测性的;只有一项研究量化了闪光鱼的发光功能。此外，我和一群同事最近的研究表明，许多昼行性鱼类的虹膜上都有结构，可以改变环境光的方向或质量，使它们能够增加发现潜在猎物和捕食者的概率。昼夜活跃的光定位可能在鱼类中广泛存在，我们小组的工作为研究这种行为及其相关的生态和进化后果奠定了基础。 我的第一个发现补助金，我将启动一个全面的研究计划，旨在了解主动光定位的机制和功能。在最初的五年里，我将建立一个长期的实验计划，1）夜间主动光定位使用手电筒鱼作为模型，2）白天主动光定位使用三刺Gasterosteus aculeatus。 我的研究将提供一个新的框架，用于测试限制主动光定位进化的权衡，但也会对我们理解物种间鱼眼的共同进化产生影响。主动光定位在主动传感文献中被严重忽视，因此为新的发现提供了令人兴奋的机会。这项研究计划将在加拿大是独一无二的，因此使加拿大的积极传感的国际研究作出独特的贡献。我的研究计划将为下一代科学家提供多学科的培训环境。我的学生将获得广泛的可转移的技能，例如，动物饲养和护理，科学潜水和其他领域的工作，并与最先进的技术，包括光谱辐射测量，多光谱成像，先进的视觉建模培训。所有研究成果将通过出版预印本或开放获取的文章传达给科学界和公众。