The ecology of fear and safety in a changing world

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The success of an animal depends on its ability to do three basic things: to forage, to avoid being eaten and to successfully reproduce. Failing to recognize a predator is often fatal, but prey animals cannot forgo foraging and reproduction to hide from predators all of the time. Hence, the question of how animals recognize and avoid being eaten, while still being successful, is a central issue in biology and constitutes a large part of my long term research program. As a cognitive ecologist, I focus on understanding how animals deal with fluctuations in risk through space and time and how the certainty of information influences how they respond to predators. Much of this work involves learning and memory of predator-related information. Our recent empirical work in several model systems, combined with some dynamic state variable modelling has led to the realization that recognizing safety, be it in the form of recognition of non-predators or safe places, is likely much more important to prey than recognizing risk. This could fundamentally change the way ecologists view animal decision making. Accordingly, my first objective is aimed at conducting pioneering work on fish space use patterns and amphibian development and learning through the emerging lens of safety recognition. In this grant, I will also use my strength in cognitive ecology to address two pressing global environmental issues. One objective is aimed at understanding how anthropogenic noise influences physiology, growth and learning in fishes. Our world is becoming much noisier, and this noise may have a profound effect on fish ecology and cognition. I will explore the spatial impact of the effects of boat noise on physiology, escape performance and the ability of the fish to learn their predators. The consequence of lower recruitment and higher mortality, stemming from the inability to recognize predators, could have significant effects on population size. I will also test whether noise is a major cause of stress that limits fish growth in an aquaculture setting. My work has real potential to help the Canadian aquaculture industry increase production by designing tanks that minimize acoustic stress. My final objective is to expand my pioneering work on the effects of Selenium (Se), a priority aquatic pollutant, on fish antipredator cognition and social behaviour. Through this work, we will gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of sex steroid hormones in social learning and cognition and explore the multi-generational effects of Se exposure. This grant will facilitate the training of 1 PDF, 5 PhD students, 1 MSc student along with many undergraduate students. Combining cutting edge research in cognitive ecology with real-life environmental issues means that the students trained with this grant will be scientists that can truly make an impact as researchers and policy makers of the future.