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
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 CiteCollective 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 CiteHeart 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 CiteRecent Grants
Decoding invisibility: from genome evolution to tissue optical properties in transparent fish
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by International Human Frontier Science Program Organization · 2024 - 2027Optimal summation for maximum identification range of targets and the biophotonics of targets with ultralow reflectance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Research Laboratory · 2025 - 2027Magnetoreception in Marine Animals and Bio-Inspired Algorithms for Long-range, GPS-free Navigation
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2020 - 2026View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill ·
1996
Ph.D.
Swarthmore College ·
1988
B.A.