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

在马丁·康诺顿博士的指导下，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，以支持学生对鱼类声音行为的研究和研究培训。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成分在决定接受者的反应行为方面是重要的。特别是，关于声音信号和鱼类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进行求偶和交配。这项工作的目标是确定在一种发声鱼类中，哪些声音信号成分会引起或改变惊吓和求偶行为。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之处表明，鱼类和高等脊椎动物可能对与行为相关的信息进行了类似的编码。因此，本研究中从简单通信系统中获得的对信号编码的理解可以应用于高等脊椎动物在更复杂形式的声通信中的信号进化。这项提议的更广泛的意义包括改善华盛顿学院的科学环境，这是一所致力于为学生提供研究和研究培训机会的小型文理学院。在这项资助中建议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室练习向海洋生物学和鱼类学课程的学生介绍尖端研究方法和实验设计。利用这一仪器，将与美国农业部当地的水生病理学实验室建立合作关系，扩大学生在校园内外进行培训的机会。这项拟议工作的科学重要性在于促进对哪些信号成分在该物种中引发或改变惊吓和求偶行为的理解。这项研究的发现可能适用于高等脊椎动物的声通讯研究。

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.