Welcome to Dr. Arthur N. Popper's Laboratory of Aquatic Bioacoustics.

The Aquatic Bioacoustics Laboratory (ABL) is primarily involved in the study of hearing by aquatic organisms. Most work in the laboratory focuses on fishes, although studies have been done with other non-mammalian vertebrates. Our fish studies focus on various aspects of hearing that range from behavioral investigations to determine what an animal can hear to physiological investigations of the responses of the ear and brain.

Most recently, the lab has become very involved in issues of the effects of human-generated (anthropogenic) sound on aquatic organisms. This has resulted in a series of studies that explore behavioral and physiological effects of increased ambient sounds on fish. See this link for a recent story about some of this work.

Investigations range from basic questions concerning evolution and mechanisms of sound detection to very applied studies on the effects of human-made sounds, such as those in aquaculture facilities, on the fitness of fishes. We work with a range of species since we are interested in the diversity of auditory mechanisms found among fishes.

Current species being used in our laboratory include goldfish (Carassius auratus), tilapia (Oreochiomis niloticus), sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), zebrafish (Danio rerio), and American shad (Alosa sapidissima).

Lab Facilities

• Light microscopy for fluorescence, and Nomarski optics
• Scanning and transmission electron microscopy
• Confocal microscopy
• Histology and immunocytochemistry
• Behavioral analysis and psychophysics
• Electrophysiology (extracellular, intracellular, ABR)
• Anechoic and sound proof rooms

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