New dimensions in colour and polarisation vision on The Great Barrier Reef

Abstract:: Animal colours are a prominent and fascinating part of Australia's biodiversity. My recent discoveries in visual neuroscience have revealed new forms of colour vision, polarisation vision and communication. Cephalopods (e.g. octopus and squid) and crustaceans (mantis shrimps) from The Great Barrier Reef are model systems I will use to build on these new findings. Outcomes will reveal how the small brain of a shrimp decodes colour vision four times more complex than ours and novel forms of neural processing and signalling in linear and circular polarisation. All are visual languages to which humans are blind but have translational benefits in nanotechnology and comparative neuroscience.
Grant type:: ARC Discovery Projects
Funded by:: Australian Research Council

The University of Queensland