Fish swimming is a multidisciplinary area of research that encompasses biomechanics, physiology, evolution, ecology and behavior. Knowledge of fish swimming is relevant both for students interested in mechanisms of locomotion, and those interested in locomotor adaptations to the environment. The course will reflect the multidisciplinary nature of fish swimming. The main subjects treated in the course will be: (1) the kinematics and performance of swimming in fish using various locomotory modes; (2) the ecomorphology of fish locomotion; (3) locomotor strategies; (4) metabolic aspects of fish swimming; (5) the effect of various environmental factors on fish swimming.

This course is suitable for graduate students and upper-level undergraduates as well as young researchers and postdocs interested in learning about fish swimming. Specific lectures will be given on the following topics: Introduction to local fish fauna, introduction to fish hydrodynamics, fish swimming kinematics and biomechanics (steady and unsteady), fish swimming performance (steady and unsteady), scaling of swimming performance, predator-prey encounters, fish functional morphology and swimming, behavioral lateralization in fish swimming, schooling behavior, respiratory physiology, principle of respirometry, ecophysiology of fish swimming, metabolism and exercise physiology, the effect of environmental factors on fish swimming, video analysis techniques, kinematic analysis, circular statistics, and respirometry techniques.

These topics will be treated in lectures and laboratory/field sessions. Students will learn laboratory techniques of video analysis, kinematics, energetics and respirometry. The first half of the course will emphasize on lectures and explanations of techniques for studying fish swimming in the laboratory and in the field. In the second half of the course, emphasis will be placed on laboratory and field work. Students will pursue independent research projects which will be discussed between each student and the instructors. Based on past experience from previous courses taught at FHL, a number of projects will be proposed and rated in terms of their feasibility, their originality and scientific interest. Original projects on fish locomotion, based on the student’s personal background and interest, will also be welcomed. Regular morning meetings will be held in order to discuss various issues such clarifying lecture material, planning logistic matters (fishing, sharing equipment), defining/assigning and updating each project. At the end of the course, students will present the results of their independent projects orally and as a written report in the format of a scientific paper.

Fish locomotion is an area of increased interest, due to its relevance to fitness-related issues. For example, swimming performance can have a direct effect on survival from predator attacks, and swimming endurance can affect migratory abilities and the resources available for growth. The evaluation of swimming performance and locomotor behavior level are powerful tools of growing importance for predicting the effect of natural or man-induced changes (including global change) at the ecosystem level. For instance, research on salmon has focused on comparing the swimming performance of wild and transgenic individuals, in order to predict the impact on the ecosystem of transgenic salmon escaped from aquaculture plants. Low escape performance in transgenic salmon suggests that these may be more vulnerable to predation than their wild counterparts with important consequences for the whole ecosystem [Reichardt, T (2000). Nature, 406: 10-13]. Similarly, the effect of increased carbon dioxide on fish behavior has been evaluated using locomotion tests; fish treated with high carbon dioxide were found to lose their directional preference and to approach predators, with potential consequences for their survival in a high-CO2 environment [Domenici et al. (2012) Biology Letters 8 (1) 78-81; Nilsson et al. (2012) Nature Climate Change, 2 (3), 201-204]. Furthermore, the study of swimming performance has demonstrated its wide application to a number of other fields, related to physiology, ecology and evolution. For example, it has recently been used for assessing physiological senescence in studies on the evolution of aging [Reznick D. et al (2004). Nature, 431: 1095-1099; Terzibasi et al. (2009) Aging cell, 8: 88-99]. Because of its wide range of applicability, knowledge of the principles of fish locomotion is fundamental for any student interested in fish biology.

Instructors for this course are:

• Dr. Paolo Domenici, IAMC-CNR, Organismal Biology Lab, Italy
• Dr. John F. Steffensen, University of Copenhagen, Marine Biology Laboratory, Denmark

Enrollment is limited to 15 students. No textbook is required for this course.

Note: Student transcripts from University of Washington will list “FHL 528: Special Topics in Advanced Fish Biology”

Here is a link to a list of publications that have come out of students’ projects carried out during the course in previous years.

http://bioold.science.ku.dk/jfsteffensen/fhl/publications-fhl.htm