Caroly Shumway

Adjunct Associate Professor in Biology, and Senior Scientist for Biodiversity, Depts. of Research & Global Marine Programs, The New England Aquarium

Ph.D., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1988

Behavioral neurobiology, evolution, behavior in aquatic conservation, conservation of aquatic biodiversity

My lab, based at the New England Aquarium,   has three programmatic areas: 1) The evolution of complex brains and behaviors in African cichlid fishes;   2) The use of behavior as a conservation tool; and 3) conservation of aquatic biodiversity. For more research details, see my lab web page (www.people.bu.edu/cshumway).

The Evolution of Complex Brains and Behaviors in African Cichlid Fishes:   I am interested in understanding the relationship between complex behaviors and complex brains. By what qualitative and quantitative measures do complex brains differ from simpler ones? How do complex brains and behaviors, such as our own, evolve? My laboratory uses a comparative approach to study these questions, in collaboration with Hans Hofmann's lab (Harvard). Using a combination of behavioral, neuroanatomical, molecular, and ecological techniques, we are investigating how habitat structure and mating system shape brain structure and function in a model evolutionary system: the highly visual cichlid fishes of the African Great Lakes. These fish are renowned for undergoing the most explosive vertebrate species radiation known, for diverse habitat preferences, and for diverse social behaviors (cooperative breeding, territoriality, lek formation, harems, monogamy, and bower building). This system enables us to make extremely fine ecological, behavioral, and neuronal comparisons, providing an unparalleled opportunity to understand how environmental and social pressures shape brain structure and function. Behaviorally, we are: exploring spatial memory, spatial acuity, species and individual recognition (using computer animated stimuli), and behavioral differences in the field (Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania), using SCUBA. Neuroanatomically, we are comparing the relative size of the telencephalon (homologous to our cerebral cortex), hippocampal homologue, Dl, and exploring the role of the neuropeptide vasotocin in species differing in social organization. We have shown that both habitat complexity and social organization sculpt brain and behavior.   Fishes from more complex habitats have a larger telencephalon, better visual acuity, and a 36% larger area of the hippocampal homologue, Dl, implicated in spatial memory, compared to fishes from simpler habitats. Social organization affects brain and behavior in the following ways: monogamous fish have a bigger telencephalon than polygamous fish; polygamous fish, however, have better visual acuity, larger home ranges and increased measures of aggression.

Current Projects: We are working to identify the neural features underlying the effects of habitat complexity on brain and behavior; to identify the social and neural features underlying mating preference's effect on brain/behavior; and to explore the role of environmental and social plasticity in generating the observed species-specific differences.

Behavior and Conservation: I am developing a research program that utilizes behavioral techniques as 'tools' for aquatic conservation. In preliminary experiments, we explored the behavioral effects of eutrophication and/or sedimentation on highly visual coral reef fish. Eutrophication and sedimentation are caused by poor forestry and sewage practices and/or indiscriminate use of fertilizer on crops. We need to understand the effects of this type of pollution on fish visual behavior, since many coral reef fish depend on vision for mate choice, predator avoidance, and territorial defense. The results from this study may provide a powerful argument for reducing and managing forestry and agricultural processes in critical marine habitats. My lab is currently beginning work on a study of cod eye movements as a 'window' into their visual perception. The goal of these experiments is to determine what features of a net are visually aversive to cod, so that nets can be better designed to reduce bycatch. In a lab setting, we will present a cod with both animated or moving stimuli, varying mesh size, shape and color, to determine what is most aversive in the middle of the trawl. We will determine what features the cod "attend" to by using eye-tracking software to determine the fish's point of gaze. By creating aversive stimuli in the middle of the trawl, we can help reduce the high mortalities of undersized fish.  

Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity

The Aquatic Biodiversity Initiative highlights the value of science in addressing pressing questions in aquatic biodiversity, the interdependence of humans with other species and ecosystems, and the importance of changing human behavior. Efforts span grassroots and community programs, scientific research, and public education in Africa, the South Pacific, and the U.S. Key objectives are to:

foster aquatic stewardship by changing human behavior toward the natural world; and provide practical, science-based advice to communities and NGOs dependent on their aquatic resources. Projects include: 1) Changing Hearts and Minds: A Values-based Approach to Environmental Stewardship; 2) Congo River Environment and Development Project (CREDP); 3) Scientists Without Borders; and 4) Living Links: Choices for Survival Exhibit. For more research details, see my lab web page (http://people.bu.edu/cshumway/)."

Current Lab Personnel

Adam Dobberfuhl - PhD Student, EBE Program
Justin Scace - Research Assistant
Undergraduates - Michelle Guarin (Tufts)

Publications

Pollen AA, Dobberfuhl AP, Igulu MM, Scace J, Renn SCP, Shumway CA, Hofmann HA (2006, in revision) Environmental complexity and social organization sculpt the brain in Lake Tanganyikan cichlid fish. Brain Behav Evol.

Shumway, C.A., H.A. Hofmann, A. P. Dobberfuhl (2006, in revision). A new video-based technique for quantifying habitat complexity in aquatic ecosystems. Freshwater Biology.

Dobberfuhl, A., J. Ullmann, C.A. Shumway (2005). Visual acuity, environmental complexity, and social organization in African cichlid fishes . Behav. Neurosci . 119(6).1648-1655.

Shumway, C.A., J. Morissette, and J.M. Bower (2005) Mechanisms underlying reorganization of fractured tactile cerebellar maps following deafferentation in developing and adult rats. J. Neurophys. 94:2630-2643.

Shumway, C.A. (editor), with contributions from C. Leveque, D. Paugy, G.G. Teugels, M. Poll and J.-P. Gosse (2004) Field Guide to the Fishes of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Excluding Lake Tanganyika. Report financed by USAID. CREDP is implemented by Innovative Resources Management. New England Aquarium Press , Boston. 139 pp.

Shumway, C.A., D. Musibono, S. Ifuta, J. Sullivan, R. Schelly, J. Punga, J.-C. Palata, and V. Puema (2003). Congo River Environment and Development Project (CREDP). Biodiversity survey: Systematics, Ecology, and Conservation Along the Congo River. Sept.-Oct. 2002.   Report financed by USAID. CREDP is implemented by Innovative Resources Management. New England Aquarium Press , Boston. 160 pp.

Shumway, C.A. (2001) The role of aquariums in aquatic conservation.   Invited paper . Marine Technology Society Journal. 35(1): 63-68.

Shumway, C.A., Morissette, J., P. Gruen , and J.M. Bower (1999) Plasticity in cerebellar tactile maps in adult rats. J. of   Comp. Neurol. 413: 583-592.

Shumway, C.A. (1999) A neglected science: applying behavior to aquatic conservation. Env. Biol. Fishes. 55(1-2): 183-201.

Shumway, C.A. (1999) Forgotten Waters: Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems in Africa. Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation. A Boston University publication. Edited and printed with support from USAID, the Biodiversity Support Program (a USAID-funded consortium of the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and World Resources Institute), and the New England Aquarium. 173 pp.

Shumway, C.A. (1995) The conservation and utilization of biological resources in PNG: An exploration of the problems, pitfalls, and successes in conserving biodiversity with income-generating activities. Proceedings of the 20th Waigani Seminar on Environment and Development in PNG: up to 2000 and beyond, Univ. of Papua New Guinea Press , Papua New Guinea.

Gonzalez, L., C. Shumway, J. Morissette, and J.M. Bower (1993) Developmental plasticity in cerebellar tactile maps: fractured maps retain a fractured organization. J. Comp. Neurol. 332:487-498.

Shumway, C.A. and L. Maler (1989) GABAergic inhibition shapes temporal and spatial response properties of pyramidal   cells in the electrosensory lateral line lobe of gymnotiform fish. J. Comp. Physiol. 164:391-407.

Shumway, C.A. (1989) Multiple electrosensory maps in the medulla of weakly electric gymnotiform fish. I. Physiological differences. J. of Neuroscience 9(12):4388-4399.   

Shumway, C.A. (1989) Multiple electrosensory maps in the medulla of weakly electric gymnotiform fish. II. Anatomical differences. J. of Neuroscience 9(12):4400-4415.

Shumway, C.A. and R. Zelick (1988) Sex recognition and neural coding of electric coding of electric organ discharge waveforms in the pulse-type weakly electric fish, Hypopomus occidentalis . J. Comp. Physiol. 163:465-478.