Klaus Stiefel is adjunkt professor at Silliman University, Philippines and will give a talk on:

"Coral Reef Fish Escapes, Reproduction & Biodiversity: Theory & Observations"

Abstract

"Coral reef fishes are a highly biodiverse group of vertebrates, with a wide range of behavioral strategies to thrive and survive in coral reef ecosystems. I will present theoretical and observational work aimed at understanding their behavior and biodiversity.

1. Shrimp gobies are a group of minute fishes which share a burrow with alpheid shrimp. They have evolved a tactile communication system to signal "their" shrimp what the current level of danger from predation is. We developed a theoretical model which predicts which changes had to occur in the brainstem of the gobies to implement such a communication system.

2. Tubbataha reefs are the best protected reef system in the Philippines, with no fishing allowed whatsoever.  We conducted a multi-year fish and coral biodiversity study in Tubbataha, and found that despite the high level of protection, in some sections of the reef, reef-fish abundance and biodiversity declines. We discuss possible causes and mechanisms of this decline."

Tuesday, 08 October 2024

1:15 p.m.

Lecture Hall 1, UBB, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, University of Vienna

Join us!

This lecture takes place in the framework of the "Interaction and Evolution of Organisms Seminar Series"