plobel@bu.edu

Animal Behavior Ecology and Conservation Biology Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Molecular Ecology and Evolution Marine Biology Tropical Ecology

Professor, Boston University Marine Program
Ph.D. Harvard University, 1979

Ichthyology; Behavioral ecology and toxonomy of fishes

I am an ichthyologist with interest in behavioral ecology. I am interested in fundamental concepts of fish biology and in applying this knowledge to scientific issues and to societal concerns of fisheries management and conservation. My scientific work has focused on field studies of fish behavior and ecology. I have worked in a variety of habitats world wide where fishes are a significant component of the fauna. This comparative approach has provided opportunities to examine diverse fish lineages have adapted to various environmental histories. In recent years, I have applied my scientific expertise contemporary problems in conservation biology and environmental protection. My main study site is Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean and the research is part of the US Army marine ecological monitoring program evaluating operation of the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System.

My research has examined mainly five topics in fish biology:

1) Reproduction behavior and timing relative to physical oceanographic variables.
2) Predator-prey relationships with emphasis on herbivores and their role in coral reef ecology, including the phenomenon of ciguatera.
3) Species identification and biogeography including descriptions of new species of fishes from coral reefs and an African freshwater lake.
4) Fish bioacoustics. and
5) Environmental impact of natural catastrophes and man-made habitat alterations.

I have also explored other topics including: visual ecology, ecology of exotic fish introduction, nature and lore of fishes, and buoyancy adjustment in fish. My current research focus is on fish bioacoustics. Although the fact that many fishes produce distinct sounds while courting or calling mates has long been recognized for some economically important species (e.g., cod) and some other coastal species (e.g., toadfish, damselfish), the prior lack of technology stifled research. Past research has generally concentrated on the identification of sound-producing fishes and the neurophysiology of sound production. The major obstacle in the past in studying the acoustic behavior of fishes in the field has been data acquisition and signal analysis. I developed new methods and equipment for recording fishes in the wild. I am using computer software for the identification, characterization and analysis of acoustic vocalizations produced by fishes. The goal is to develop instrumentation, deployment strategy and analytical procedures for A) locating spawning populations, and B) quantifying the temporal-spatial patterns of fish reproduction. The temporal patterns of fish reproduction at known sites can be recorded using hydrophones and radio-telemetry to shore or with underwater recorders. Spatial coverage is possible using multiple systems. The success and general applicability of a method for passive acoustic detection of fish reproduction ultimately depends on identifying species with specific mating sounds. The interesting biological question is, Do different fishes make different sounds and can the fish distinguish these different sounds?

Lobel, P. S. & L. Kerr Lobel. 2004. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Wake Atoll. Pacific Science 58(1): 65-90.

Lobel, P. S. 2003. Marine Life of Johnston Atoll. Natural World Press, 128pp.

Randall, J. E., & P. S. Lobel. 2003. Xyrichthys halsteadi, a new labrid fish from the Central and western Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science. 72:971-977.

Randall, J. E., & P. S. Lobel. 2003. Halichoeres socialis, a new labrid fish from Belize, Caribben. Copeia 2003(1):124-130.

Casper, B., P. S. Lobel & H. Yan 2003. Comparative hearing sensitivity among free-swimming and bottom-dwelling elasmobranchs. Environ. Biol. Fish 68:371-379.

Ramon, M. L., P. S. Lobel & M. D. Sorensen. 2003.    Lack of mitochondrial genetic structure in hamlets ( Hypoplectrus spp.): recent speciation or ongoing hybridization? Molecular Ecology (2003) 12 , 2975-2980.

Lobel P. S. and L. M. Kerr. 2003. Status of contaminants in Johnston Atoll lagoon sediments after 70 years of U.S. military occupation., In M.K. Kasim Moosa, S.Soemodihardjo, A.Nontji, A.Soegiarto, K. Romimohtarto, Sukarno and Suharsono. (Editors) Proceedings of the Ninth International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia, October 23-27 2000. Published by the Ministry of Environment, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and the International Society for Reef Studies. Pages 861 to 866.

Rice, A.A. & P. S. Lobel. 2002. Enzyme activities of pharyngeal jaw musculature in the cichlid Tranitichromis intermedius: implications for sound production in cichlid fishes. The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 3519–3523.

Lobel, P. S. 2002. Diversity of fish spawning sounds and the application of passive acoustic monitoring. Bioacoustics 12:286-289.

Lobel P. S. 2001. Fish bioacoustics and behavior: passive acoustic detection and the application of a closed-circuit rebreather for field study. Marine Technology Society Journal 35(2)19-28.

Lobel, P. S., 2001. Acoustic behavior of cichlid fishes. Journal of Aquariculture & Aquatic Sciences 9:167-186.

Questions and comments are always welcome.
Copyright © 1996, The Trustees of Boston University
This document was last modified on October 7, 20036