Boston University Department of Biology

Faculty Profiles

Current Research

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 worldwide where fishes are a significant component of the fauna. In recent years, I have applied my scientific expertise to 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.

In addition to studies on visual ecology, ecology of exotic fish introduction, nature and lore of fishes, and buoyancy adjustment, my research has concentrated on five topics:

1. Reproductive 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. Environmental impact of natural catastrophes and man-made habitat alterations

5. Fish bioacoustics

My current research focus is on fish bioacoustics. Past research has generally concentrated on the identification of sound-producing fishes and the neurophysiology of sound production. Although many fishes produce distinct sounds while courting or calling mates, the prior lack of technology for data acquisition and signal analysis has stifled research. I developed new methods and equipment for recording fishes in the wild. The goals have been 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?

Courses Taught

• BI 531 Ichthyology I
• BI 532 Ichthyology II with field trip to Belize

Selected Publications

• Lobel PS, Lobel LK (2008). Biology and Geology of Johnston and Wake Atolls, Pacific Ocean. Chapter 17 in Coral Reefs of the USA, Series: Coral Reefs of the World, Vol. 1 Riegl, Bernhard M; Dodge, Richard E. (Eds) Springer.
• Rosenthal G, Lobel P S (2006). Fish Communication. CH 2 (pgs 39-78) in Behavior and physiology of fish (edited by K, A, Sloman, R. W. Wilson & S. Balshine), Volume 24 Fish Physiology (book series). Elsevier Academic Press, 480pp.
• Lobel PS. (2005). Scuba bubble noise and fish behavior: a rationale for silent diving technology. Proc. of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 2005, pgs 49-60.
• Randall JE, Lobel PS, Kennedy CW (2005). Comparative ecology of the gobies Nes longus and Ctenogobius saepepallens, both symbiotic with the snapping shrimp Alpheus floridanus. Environmental Biology of Fishes 74(2), 119-127.
• Ripley JL, Lobel PS (2004). Correlation of acoustic and visual communication in the Lake Malawi cichlid Tramitichromis intermedius. Environmental Biology of Fishes 71(4), 389-394.
• Rice AA, Lobel PS (2004). The Pharyngeal Jaw Apparatus of the Cichlidae and Pomacentridae: Function in Feeding and Sound Production. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 13, 433-444.
• Lobel PS, Kerr Lobel L (2004). Annotated checklist of the fishes of Wake Atoll. Pacific Science 58(1), 65-90.
• Lobel PS. (2003). Marine Life of Johnston Atoll. Natural World Press, 128pp.