Student Organizations

Professor Allen Mensinger will discuss his 20 years of toadfish research conducted at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.  The Mensinger laboratory is interested in how fish detect, integrate and respond to environmental stimuli.  He has developed a chronically implanted electrode that allows the recording for neural activity from free swimming fish.  This allows the monitoring of relevant stimuli in a naturally behaving animal.  The toadfish is a robust neuroethological model as males will produce mating calls to attract the female fish to nesting sites.  Currently the laboratory is investigating how female toadfish find mates and what aspect of the male vocalization mediates mate selection.  Recent studies indicate that both the auditory and mechanosensory system may be involved in sound localization and mate choice.

Dr. Mensinger will be available to discuss summer research opportunities at the Marine Biological Laboratory (http://hermes.mbl.edu/education/courses/other_programs/reu.html) and the Integrated Biological Sciences graduate program at the University of Minnesota – Duluth(www.d.umn.edu/ibs).