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Sonke Johnsen

Ida Stephens Owens Distinguished Professor
Biology
Duke Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0338
301 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Ida Stephens Owens Distinguished Professor · 2024 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Biology · 2012 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation · 2022 - Present Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2008 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2017 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published February 24, 2025
The Biology Professor on an Unusual Career Path in ‘Freedom to Fail’ Series
Published December 1, 2024
To Build Better Fiber Optic Cables, Ask a Clam
Published March 19, 2024
Duke Awards 32 New Distinguished Professorships for 2024

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Recent Publications


Humpback whale (<i>Megaptera novaeangliae</i>) visual acuity allows silhouette detection but not fine detail discrimination over ecological distances.

Journal Article Proceedings. Biological sciences · May 2025 Few studies have been conducted on the visual capabilities of large cetaceans, such as the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and understanding these capabilities provides insights into the natural history and anthropogenic vulnerabilities of ... Full text Cite

Collective movement increases initial accuracy and path efficiency in talitrid amphipod orientation.

Journal Article Biology letters · December 2024 Talitrid amphipods are an extensively studied system for navigation due to their robust ability to navigate back to the optimal burrowing zone after foraging and could be a model system in which to study the impacts of collective behaviour on short-distanc ... Full text Cite

Heart cockle shells transmit sunlight to photosymbiotic algae using bundled fiber optic cables and condensing lenses.

Journal Article Nature communications · November 2024 Many animals convergently evolved photosynthetic symbioses. In bivalves, giant clams (Cardiidae: Tridacninae) gape open to irradiate their symbionts, but heart cockles (Cardiidae: Fraginae) stay closed because sunlight passes through transparent windows in ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Decoding invisibility: from genome evolution to tissue optical properties in transparent fish

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by International Human Frontier Science Program Organization · 2024 - 2027

Optimal summation for maximum identification range of targets and the biophotonics of targets with ultralow reflectance

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Research Laboratory · 2025 - 2027

Magnetoreception in Marine Animals and Bio-Inspired Algorithms for Long-range, GPS-free Navigation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2020 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 1996 Ph.D.
Swarthmore College · 1988 B.A.

External Links


lab website