Search

The rocky intertidal zone is a paradigmatic ecosystem found along the coastline where the land meets the sea. It holds a plethora of unique animals that fill various niches, creating an atmosphere of constant interactions among both biotic and abiotic factors. The intertidal sea anemone, Anthopleura sola, (A. sola) is dispersed throughout our coastline, making it a widely abundant animal with — surprisingly — limited research done on the species. Our research proposes to examine the ecology of intraspecific aggression among A. sola and how their behaviors influence biological organization at both the individual and population levels. To further understand how habitat-specific factors influence spatial distribution, we will investigate agonistic behaviors that are likely to occur across two different habitats: cobble and bench. We define a cobble habitat as being of loose cobblestone and a bench habitat as a flat, continuous rock substrate. Previous analysis of these habitats from Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara County, California, suggests that the spatial distribution is influenced by environmental factors and other population-specific characteristics (e.g. density) which may contextualize behavioral traits. A comparative analysis of agonistic behaviors and dietary components will be conducted to better understand how resource availability influences spatial competition. With this information, our study can provide ways to better mitigate the intertidal ecosystems as we experience an increase in environmental changes. This poster was presented at UCSB's 2024 undergraduate research symposium for the department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, and received a best poster award.

Dispersive early life stages are common in nature. Although many dispersing organisms (propagules) are passively moved by outside forces, some improve their chances of successful dispersal through weak movements that exploit the structure of the environment to great effect. The larvae of many coastal marine invertebrates, for instance, swim vertically through the water column to exploit depth-varying currents, food abundance, and predation risk. Several swimming behaviors and their effects on dispersal between habitats are characterized in the literature, yet it remains unclear when and why these behaviors are advantageous. We addressed this gap using a mathematical model of larval dispersal that scored how well behaviors allowed larvae to simultaneously locate habitats, avoid predators, and gather energy. We computed optimal larval behaviors through dynamic programming, and compared those optima against passive floating and three well documented behaviors from the literature. Optimal behaviors often (but not always) resembled the documented ones. However, our model predicted that the behaviors from the literature performed robustly well, if not optimally, across many conditions. Our results shed light on why some larval behaviors are widespread geographically and across species, and underscore the importance of carefully considering the weak movements of otherwise passive propagules when studying dispersal.

Most organisms are at risk of being consumed by a predator or getting infected by a parasite at some point in their life. Theoretical constructs such as the landscape of fear (perception of risk) and nonconsumptive effects (NCEs, costly responses sans predation or infection) have been proposed to describe and quantify antipredator and antiparasite responses. How prey/host species identify and respond to these risks determines their survival, reproductive success and, ultimately, fitness. Most studies to date have focused on either predator–prey or parasite–host interactions, yet habitats and ecosystems contain both parasitic and/or predatory species that represent a complex and heterogenous mosaic of risk factors. Here, we experimentally investigated the behavioral responses of a cactophilic fruit fly, Drosophila nigrospiracula, exposed to a range of species that include parasites (ectoparasitic mite), predators (jumping spiders), as well as harmless heterospecifics (nonparasitic mites, ants, and weevils). We demonstrate that D. nigrospiracula can differentiate between threat and non‐threat species, increase erratic movements and decrease velocity in the presence of parasites, but decrease erratic movements and time spent grooming in the presence of predators. Of particular importance, flies could distinguish between parasitic female mites and nonparasitic male mites of the same species, and respond accordingly. We also show that the direction of these NCEs differs when exposed to parasitic mites (i.e., risk of infection) versus spiders (i.e., risk of predation). Given the opposing effects of predation versus infection risk on fly behavior, we discuss potential trade‐offs between parasite and predator avoidance behaviors. Our findings illustrate the complexity of risk assessment in a landscape of fear and the fine‐tuned NCEs that arise in response. Moreover, this study is the first to examine these behavioral NCEs in a terrestrial system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to independent research experiences is a persistent barrier that stifles the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds in ecology, evolution, and behavioral biology. The benefits of field experiences are not equitably available to historically excluded and minoritized students. In this article, we summarize evidence that indicates course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a solution to ensure equitable access to independent research experiences in the life sciences. We draw from our own experiences of teaching CUREs in ecology, evolution, and behavioral biology and provide the complete curriculum for our effective and largely materials-free CURE in behavioral ecology (CURE-BxEco). We advocate for greater access to and synthesize the benefits of CUREs to promote inclusivity in education. The proliferation of such innovative pedagogical practices benefits science because these classroom methods are critical in recruiting and retaining historically excluded and minoritized students, who offer diverse perspectives in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flight behavior is an important component to understand in the context of pest management. However, because of their small size, little is known about the flight capacity of most stored-product insects, and when a flight has been assessed, it usually consists of a propensity for initiating flight. Despite a priori expectations of the importance of flight for moths, there are no data about the flight capacity and little on the flight behavior of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). As a result, the objective of the current study was to (i) characterize the baseline flight capacity of E. kuehniella and (ii) determine how flight capacity is affected by the presence of kairomonal, pheromonal, or no stimuli. We found adult E. kuehniella flew a mean of 24–34 km in a 24-h period, and the distance flown per bout increased from 91 to 207 m in the presence of pheromones but decreased to 41 m when food was nearby compared to a negative control. The total number of flight bouts was 1.6-fold higher in the presence of pheromone compared to the negative control, but E. kuehniella flew significantly slower with pheromone and food cues present, suggesting they may be exhibiting an optimal foraging strategy. Our data on flight capacity results in qualitatively and quantitatively different conclusions about flight than those conclusions formed if only flight initiation is considered. Overall, this novel information is useful for understanding the spread within facilities and in the landscape (between facilities), as well as parameterizing ecological modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased tourism pressure modifies animal behavior, including alterations in anti-predator responses and foraging activity. In areas with high tourist presence, animals may become accustomed to increased human activity and adjust the intensity of some defensive responses. An animal's anti-predation ability is usually estimated by measuring its Alert Initiation Distance (AID) and Flight Initiation Distance (FID). Both indexes are affected by multiple factors including the color of the observer's clothing. Animal behavior is also influenced by human presence, and individuals may become accustomed to increased human presence, e.g. in tourist areas. In this study, we analysed the escape behavior of the endemic Cyprus rock agama (Laudakia cypriaca) in relation to the observers clothing color. Our results showed that AIDs and FIDs of agamas in tourist areas were significantly shorter than those in non-tourist areas. Moreover, in non-tourist areas, AIDs and FIDs of agamas were significantly longer when the observer wore red clothes, compared to green and grey clothes. Our results may be helpful in planning research taking into account various colored clothing based on expected reptilian reactions. Furthermore, our results may determine the proximity at which humans interact with animals, considering clothing color, to prevent negative impacts especially on rare and protected lizard species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of climate change on the straying behavior of anadromous salmon and steelhead. These fish species are significant culturally, economically, and ecologically, and their distribution and abundance are affected by climate change. The article explores various factors that contribute to straying, such as changes in olfactory imprinting and signal detection, as well as the trade-offs between homing and selecting spawning habitats. It also discusses the challenges posed by straying, particularly in hatchery-origin salmon, and the need for further research to understand and manage straying dynamics in the context of climate change. The article proposes a research agenda that includes assessing the effects of transportation and altered water sources on straying rates, understanding how changes in release timing and location impact straying, and exploring cost-effective approaches to improve the homing of hatchery salmon. The authors stress the importance of long-term monitoring, measuring demographic and genetic impacts, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. The proposed agenda aims to inform effective conservation strategies for these culturally, economically, and ecologically important species in the face of a warming climate. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Increased tourism pressure modifies animal behavior, including alterations in anti-predator responses and foraging activity. In areas with high tourist presence, animals may become accustomed to increased human activity and adjust the intensity of some defensive responses. An animal’s anti-predation ability is usually estimated by measuring its Alert Initiation Distance (AID) and Flight Initiation Distance (FID). Both indexes are affected by multiple factors including the color of the observer’s clothing. Animal behavior is also influenced by human presence, and individuals may become accustomed to increased human presence, e.g. in tourist areas. In this study, we analysed the escape behavior of the endemic Cyprus rock agama (Laudakia cypriaca) in relation to the observers clothing color. Our results showed that AIDs and FIDs of agamas in tourist areas were significantly shorter than those in non-tourist areas. Moreover, in non-tourist areas, AIDs and FIDs of agamas were significantly longer when the observer wore red clothes, compared to green and grey clothes. Our results may be helpful in planning research taking into account various colored clothing based on expected reptilian reactions. Furthermore, our results may determine the proximity at which humans interact with animals, considering clothing color, to prevent negative impacts especially on rare and protected lizard species.

We describe and analyze the mimetic behavior in juvenile Maracaibo leatherjack, Oligoplites palometa, establishing correlations with feeding diet composition during daytime. The relationships between behavioral patterns and the feeding diet of O. palometa were analyzed during daylight hours, considering seasonal and lunar cycle variations within a tidal channel in the estuary of the Caeté River, Northeastern Pará, Brazil. The two relatively well-defined seasons associated with the study area—rainy and dry seasons—have influenced the behavioral patterns and feeding diet of the fish. During the dry season, higher foraging frequencies were observed, consistently related to mimetic swimming behavior, and correlated with the abundance of food items found in the stomach contents. In contrast, during the rainy season, both behavioral and food item frequencies were lower, although the food items presented greater diversity. The fish have exhibited zooplanktivorous feeding habits, preferring copepods over other prey types. The lunar cycle may be associated with the temporal distribution of prey, whereas Brachyura, Clupeid larvae, and unidentified Crustacea are more related to the full, waning, and new moon phases, respectively. Our results clarify the dynamics between the environment and prey types, behavioral tactics, and feeding diets adopted by mimetic juvenile O. palometa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social insects face many threats from predators and parasites, and so have evolved a diversity of behavioral defense strategies to evade and combat enemies. Previous research has focused extensively on the evolution of front-line defense strategies that allow social groups to successfully avoid detection by enemies, defeat them during an attack, or mitigate fitness losses upon successful invasion. However, in the case of social insects, we must also consider how colonies have evolved to alter their behavior when they survive attacks. During an attack, colony fitness can be negatively affected while the colony itself survives. There may be selective pressure for surviving individuals to respond strategically to decrease the risks of future attacks by the same enemy. In this study, we tested whether colonies of Temnothorax longispinosus acorn ants emigrate when they experience a raid by the obligate social parasite T. americanus. We found that T. longispinosus colonies that experienced a raid moved to a different nest of equal quality significantly more than genetically matched colonies that had not experienced a raid event. We also found that raided colonies moved significantly more than we would expect by random chance. This result suggests that emigration may be an induced defense against re-raiding in this host-parasite system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants self-organize through interactions between individuals (nestmates). Therefore, it is possible that slight changes in individual behavior play an important role in interactions between individuals and subsequently lead to colony-level responses to environmental changes. While conducting research on the control/eradication of the invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile Mayr, we observed an unusual behavior (i.e., a mandible-opening behavior: a toxicity-related behavior) displayed by ant workers after exposure to the insecticide fipronil until death. Although this phenomenon might represent a symptom of exposure to a toxin, it is possible that mandible opening behaviors are performed for the secretion of pheromones. Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify why fipronil-exposed workers exhibit mandible-opening behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual differences in laterality and personality are expected to covary, as emotions are processed differently by the two hemispheres, and personality involves emotional behavior. Fish species are often used to investigate this topic due to the large variability in personality and laterality patterns. While some species show a positive relationship between lateralization strength and boldness, others show a negative relationship, and some show no relationship. A new way to assess the robustness of such a relationship is to manipulate both laterality and personality to examine how this affects their relationship. To this end, we conducted a fully factorial design experiment manipulating predation and group size during early development. Results showed that the strength of laterality was influenced by predation threat, while social tendency and boldness were influenced by group size. These findings suggest that early life conditions can have an impact on laterality and social behavior. The relationship between laterality and personality traits, while present, was heavily influenced by the specific trial conditions but not by the different developmental conditions. In summary, the relationship between laterality and behaviors appears to be context-dependent, yet resilient to early environmental manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants self-organize through interactions between individuals (nestmates). Therefore, it is possible that slight changes in individual behavior play an important role in interactions between individuals and subsequently lead to colony-level responses to environmental changes. While conducting research on the control/eradication of the invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile Mayr, we observed an unusual behavior (i.e., a mandible-opening behavior: a toxicity-related behavior) displayed by ant workers after exposure to the insecticide fipronil until death. Although this phenomenon might represent a symptom of exposure to a toxin, it is possible that mandible opening behaviors are performed for the secretion of pheromones. Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify why fipronil-exposed workers exhibit mandible-opening behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top krill predators such as the Antarctic minke whale (AMW) serve a vital role within the fragile Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. They are an abundant krill specialist, but their ecological role in the Antarctic remains poorly understood due to their cryptic behavior and remote habitat. It is therefore crucial to develop a baseline understanding of their basic social and foraging ecology. This study uses animal-borne camera tags to quantitatively explore these critical ecological aspects. Twenty-eight tags were deployed on AMW between 2018 and 2019 in Andvord and Paradise Bays around the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Tag data were analyzed with respect to diving, foraging, and social behavior. Results suggest the presence of loose fission-fusion sociality, with individuals forming short-term associations in 60.6% of cases including both foraging and non-foraging contexts. Socializing was significantly more common for larger individuals and resulted in a significant decrease in foraging rates for both shallow (< 30 m) and deep (> 30 m) dives. There were 12 instances of simultaneously tagged individuals that associated with one another in pairs or trios, displaying synchronized spatial movement and diving behavior. These data illustrated the use of group foraging strategies, with high incidence of synchronized foraging dives (67.5% of associated dives) and lunges (64% of associated lunges). Our results provide clear baseline information on AMW sociality and group foraging, which will help direct future studies for more targeted work. This study will improve our ability to understand the relationship between Antarctic species and their environment as climate change continues to alter the ecosystem landscape. Significance: Baseline information on sociality is thus key to understanding broader species ecology, which is especially important for keystone species. Our study is the first to directly provide these foundational insights for AMW, a common krill predator in the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. Individuals displayed short-term associations in a fission-fusion social structure similar to other baleen whale species, and socializing was associated with both larger individuals and lower foraging rates. In simultaneous tag deployments, tagged individuals frequently associated with one another and displayed synchronized diving and foraging behavior. Our results suggest that sociality may be more important to minke whale ecology than previously thought. These results provide necessary baseline information for more targeted ecological questions, such as the benefit of group foraging or how such precise synchrony might be coordinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic change appears to influence major patterns in human history. However, confirming the association between climatic events and adaptive human responses is not straightforward given the potential for spurious correlations and uncertainty in the timing of events. Here we leverage theory from behavioral and population ecology to generate predictions about causal relationships between climate and settlement decisions. We then test those predictions using statistical methods designed to evaluate associations under uncertainty. This allows us to evaluate a comprehensive record of radiocarbon dated archaeological sites in the Basin-Plateau region of North America relative to a record of effective precipitation reconstructed using Macrophysical Climate Models. Consistent with theory, the results show that regional populations declined in the mid-Holocene during a prolonged period of reduced precipitation, leading to the abandonment of many major rockshelter sites. Remaining populations concentrated at open-air sites around well-watered sand dune localities where they constructed pithouses and adopted more intensive subsistence practices. These findings illustrate an adaptive response of hunter-gatherer populations to past climate change that supports theoretical predictions and is unlikely to result from spurious correlations or uncertainties in the timing of events. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female advertisement of reproductive state and receptivity has the potential to play a large role in the mating systems of many taxa, but investigations of this phenomenon are underrepresented in the literature. North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) are highly territorial and engage in scramble competition mating, with males converging from spatially disparate territories to engage in mating chases. Given the narrow estrus window exhibited in this species, the ubiquitous use of vocalizations to advertise territory ownership, and the high synchronicity of males arriving from distant territories, we hypothesized that female vocalizations contain cues relating to their estrous state. To test this hypothesis, we examined the spectral and temporal properties of female territorial rattle vocalizations collected from females of known reproductive condition over 3 years. While we found no distinct changes associated with estrus specifically, we did identify significant changes in the spectral characteristics of rattles relating to both female body mass and reproductive state relative to parturition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence of changes in vocal characteristics associated with late pregnancy in a nonhuman mammal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The sugarcane billbug, Sphenophorus levis Vaurie 1978, is a key soil‐dwelling insect pest of sugarcane in Brazil and greatly affects plant development and yield. This insect presents an aggregated distribution pattern in production fields. The reasons for such behavior include intraspecific communication and attractivity due to the fermentation of sugar in stalk residues. During mechanized harvesting, part of the harvested material usually falls in the load transfer sites, becoming a potential source for increasing the infestation. We therefore evaluated whether producing areas near the harvest load transfer sites are more prone to S. levis injury. RESULTS: There are greater chances of finding billbug injury within a radius of 740 m from the harvest load transfer site. Additionally, injured areas are estimated to expand 11.96% each growing season. Our spatiotemporal models support higher injured areas surrounding the harvest load transfer site and show clear and significant signs of increased injury levels compared to the initial growing season surveyed. CONCLUSION: Our results reinforce the importance of harvest transfer sites in the dispersion and propagation of the sugarcane billbug. Based on this knowledge, sugarcane millers and growers can adopt preventive and remedial practices within the loading sites that can potentially contribute to the successful management of this insect pest. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although theoretical work on optimal migration has been largely restricted to birds, relevant free-flight data are now becoming available for migratory insects. Here we report, for the first time in passion-vine butterflies, that Heliconius sara migrates directionally. To test optimal migration models for insects, we quantified the aerodynamic power curve for free-flying H. sara as they migrated across the Panama Canal. Using synchronized stereo-images from high-speed video cameras, we reconstructed three-dimensional flight kinematics of H. sara migrating naturally across the Panama Canal. We also reconstructed flight kinematics from a single-camera view of butterflies flying through a flight tunnel. We calculated the power requirements for flight for H. sara over a range of flight velocities. The relationship between aerodynamic power and velocity was "J"-shaped across the measured velocities with a minimum power velocity of 0.9 m/s and a maximum range velocity of 2.25 m/s. Migrating H. sara did not compensate for crosswind drift. Changes in airspeed with tailwind drift were consistent with the null hypothesis that H. sara did not compensate for tailwind drift, but they were also not significantly different from those predicted to maximize the migratory range of the insects.

We propose a transmission time investment model for integrating the tenets of human behavioral ecology and cultural evolutionary theory to investigate agency and optimality in the social transmission of lithic technologies. While the cultural transmission process is often overlooked in discussions of optimality, we view it as a critical area for the application of adaptive reasoning to further understand the mechanisms responsible for change in lithic technologies. The proposed model modifies a technological intensification model based on the marginal value theorem (Bettinger et al. Journal of Archaeological Science, 33(4), 538–545, 2006; Mohlenhoff and Codding Evolutionary Anthropology, 26(5), 218–227, 2017) to explore how transmissibility may have affected the complexity of socially transmitted lithic production systems during the Pleistocene. This transmission investment model is contrasted with a passive demographic model derived from traditional explanations for changes in lithic technologies. To highlight how optimal considerations of transmissibility may have affected the long-term evolution of lithic technologies, we apply this model to three Pleistocene archaeological case studies investigating increases and decreases in lithic technological complexity. We propose that technological changes in each of these case studies is consistent with the predictions of the model, suggesting that time management strategies may have played a role in the long-term evolution of Pleistocene technologies. It is unlikely that transmission constraints alone were wholly responsible for the observed patterns, and future research should refine the measures of time availability and cost used here, as well as explore the interplay between transmission investment and other optimizing and social constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every individual has an idiosyncratic way of feeling, thinking and behaving, which is relatively stable across time and situations. Usually known as Personality, today this phenomenon is recognized in many species, including arthropods, fish, avian or mammals. From an evolutionary perspective, research has shown that personality differences are manifest in distinctive forms of dealing with selective pressures, with consequences for fitness. Despite these facts, the study of personality in animals other than humans is relatively new. Only two decades ago, consistent behavioral individual differences were considered 'noise' around an optimal strategy for behavioral ecologists. Also, psychologists were not interested in animal personality as a consequence of the fear of anthropomorphization and the erroneous belief that humans are unique in nature. Fortunately, this misconception seems already overcome but there are still conceptual issues preventing a unified concept of personality. Throughout this review, we first explore the etymological origins of personality and other terminological issues. We further revise the historical course of the study of personality in humans and other animals, from the perspectives of Psychology and Behavioral Ecology, on the basis of the most used approach, the trait theory. We present the study of nonhuman primates as a paradigmatic example in between both frameworks. Finally, we discuss about the necessity of a unified science of personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anurans that congregate to breed alongside streams are good models to answer questions about homing decisions. Specifically, they allow us to document if individuals prefer to return to their original calling site and chorus when there are closer alternative choruses from which they can call and mate. We performed a capture-recapture experiment alongside a stream with Espadarana prosoblepon (Centrolenidae) in the Central Andes of Colombia. We translocated 27 males from their original calling site and chorus to sites located either between two equidistant choruses (original and alternative choruses) or within an alternative chorus. Eighteen translocated males returned to their original calling site and chorus, three males moved or stayed in alternative choruses, and six males were never recaptured. We recorded mating in males that exhibit homing as well in those that moved toward alternative choruses. Given that homing is costly and risky for individuals, and Espadarana prosoblepon males can mate whether they call from their original chorus or from an alternative chorus, our results suggest that homing motivation is in part influenced by benefits associated with a familiar environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deforestation and habitat fragmentation is the primary threat to primate populations. The primates that live within degraded and anthropogenically disturbed habitats typical of fragmented landscapes have to cope with lower availability of resources in comparison to primates in continuous, undisturbed forests. While some species are sensitive to forest fragmentation, some evidence exists to suggest that primates can alter their behavior and adapt to such changes, which enables their survival in suboptimal habitat. In this study, we assessed how forest fragmentation and its associated edge‐effects impact the feeding ecology and activity levels of a nocturnal primate community in the Sahamalaza‐Iles Radama National Park, North West Madagascar. From March 06, 2019 to May 17, 2022, we collected data on tree and invertebrate phenology at our study site, and feeding ecology and activity for 159 lemur individuals from four species. Fruit and flower availability varied significantly between continuous and fragmented forest, and between forest core and edge areas, with continuous forest exhibiting higher continuous fruit and flower availability. Lemur feeding ecology varied significantly too, as the feeding niches of all four species were significantly different between continuous and fragmented forest and between core and edge areas. However, lemur activity levels were mostly consistent among all forest areas. The results of this study suggest that nocturnal lemurs are able to adapt their dietary ecology in response to the available food sources within their habitat. Due to this flexible ecology and dietary plasticity, the lemurs do not need to significantly alter their behavior in different environments to fulfill their dietary needs. While nocturnal lemurs demonstrate adaptability and flexibility to degraded habitat, it is unclear how far this plasticity will stretch considering that Madagascar's forests are still being cleared at an alarming rate. Urgent conservation action is therefore needed to ensure the future of lemur habitat. Research Highlights: Forest fragmentation and associated edge‐effects impact dietary ecology of multiple nocturnal lemur species.Forest fragmentation and associated edge‐effects do not however impact upon the activity budget of nocturnal lemurs.Nocturnal lemurs demonstrate adaptability and dietary plasticity to degraded habitat, and do not need to alter their behavior to fulfill their dietary needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Drift by larval white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) results in an ontological habitat shift during early life that may be influenced by changes in the trade‐off between mortality risk and growth potential. Despite the importance of early life history to recruitment and conservation, for many species, including white sturgeon, we have a limited understanding of the mechanistic drivers of drift. We tested if two biotic factors, conspecific density and timing of food availability during the yolksac larvae stage, influenced the timing of drift behaviour. We evaluated larval drift timing for yolksac larvae reared in laboratory mesocosms at two densities (10 or 20 larvae) and three feeding initiation times (before exogenous feeding, at the initiation of exogenous feeding, or starvation). We found that drift occurred at 13 days post‐hatch (dph) overall, 2 days after the shift from the yolksac stage to the feeding stage (11 dph at 14°C). The timing of food availability in the fed treatments did not affect the timing of larval drift, nor did the density of conspecifics. Starvation delayed drift timing by 2 days, to15 dph. This delay of drift from a habitat with no food availability may disadvantage starving larvae and reduce growth potential.

Deadwood in forests plays a critical role in maintaining the ecological functions. Small mammals use deadwood, and thus deadwood can mitigate the negative impacts of plantation on small mammals. This study focused on fallen dead trees in planted forests, and aimed to verify whether fallen dead trees affect behavioral patterns of Japanese squirrels. To clarify the use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels in a Japanese cedar plantation, we observed squirrel behavior by camera trap surveys at 61 survey sites. Our findings showed that fallen dead trees play a crucial role in the behavior of Japanese squirrels, serving as landmarks for movement, vigilance, resting, and hoarding sites. These functions are critical for the survival of Japanese squirrels, suggesting that fallen dead trees in planted forests have positive impacts on their microenvironment use. The increase of deadwood due to disturbances such as heavy rainfall and snowfall resulting from climate change may provide benefits to arboreal small mammals in poorly managed planted forests. Additionally, leaving some of the deadwood generated during the harvesting process in properly managed forests can improve the quality of habitat for arboreal small mammals.

Drift by larval white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) results in an ontological habitat shift during early life that may be influenced by changes in the trade‐off between mortality risk and growth potential. Despite the importance of early life history to recruitment and conservation, for many species, including white sturgeon, we have a limited understanding of the mechanistic drivers of drift. We tested if two biotic factors, conspecific density and timing of food availability during the yolksac larvae stage, influenced the timing of drift behaviour. We evaluated larval drift timing for yolksac larvae reared in laboratory mesocosms at two densities (10 or 20 larvae) and three feeding initiation times (before exogenous feeding, at the initiation of exogenous feeding, or starvation). We found that drift occurred at 13 days post‐hatch (dph) overall, 2 days after the shift from the yolksac stage to the feeding stage (11 dph at 14°C). The timing of food availability in the fed treatments did not affect the timing of larval drift, nor did the density of conspecifics. Starvation delayed drift timing by 2 days, to15 dph. This delay of drift from a habitat with no food availability may disadvantage starving larvae and reduce growth potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deadwood in forests plays a critical role in maintaining the ecological functions. Small mammals use deadwood, and thus deadwood can mitigate the negative impacts of plantation on small mammals. This study focused on fallen dead trees in planted forests, and aimed to verify whether fallen dead trees affect behavioral patterns of Japanese squirrels. To clarify the use of fallen dead trees by Japanese squirrels in a Japanese cedar plantation, we observed squirrel behavior by camera trap surveys at 61 survey sites. Our findings showed that fallen dead trees play a crucial role in the behavior of Japanese squirrels, serving as landmarks for movement, vigilance, resting, and hoarding sites. These functions are critical for the survival of Japanese squirrels, suggesting that fallen dead trees in planted forests have positive impacts on their microenvironment use. The increase of deadwood due to disturbances such as heavy rainfall and snowfall resulting from climate change may provide benefits to arboreal small mammals in poorly managed planted forests. Additionally, leaving some of the deadwood generated during the harvesting process in properly managed forests can improve the quality of habitat for arboreal small mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an increase in interest in the study of behavioral flexibility for its role in how organisms face disturbances and changes in their environment. However, there is not much research on this topic for seabirds, whose conservation status is affected by multiple issues related to changes in their environment. The goal of this paper was to analyze research on seabird behavioral flexibility and to identify knowledge gaps. A systematic review was conducted using academic search engines that included articles published from 1986 to 2022. In the 143 articles that were analyzed, the following were identified: publication date, family and species being studied, annual cycle period, research context and focus, behavioral flexibility components studied, and related environmental issues. The results show that the study of the issue in seabirds increased between 1986 and 2022, especially for the Spheniscidae, Alcidae, and Laridae families. Most studies were conducted in the field during the reproductive period in a parental-care context, mainly focusing on behavioral diversity and personality. In the studies that focused on behavioral flexibility mechanisms, the most-studied components were neophobia and exploration, whereas in the mixed-approach studies, the study of boldness prevailed. The environmental issue that was examined the most was global climate change. Our review shows that, even if the number of studies on seabird behavioral flexibility has increased in the last decade, few of them focus on the links between specific behavioral flexibility components, conservation status, and the environmental issues pertaining to the places where the species live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals commonly form groups with conspecifics. Hypotheses on the drivers of group size often (but not always) pertain to fear of predation and food availability or quality. However, for a more complete understanding of group forming, multiple, possibly interacting mechanisms should be considered. We used camera traps, detectability estimates from distance sampling, and hierarchical Bayesian modeling to index group size and test multiple additive and interacting group‐formation hypotheses in white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), within Indiana, USA. We found a strong relationship between our index of group size and (1) a three‐way interaction between spatiotemporal pulses in fear of natural predation risk and anthropogenic development and (2) a three‐way interaction between the local cover (defined as the amount of vegetative cover in the immediate area of the camera), the area of concealment (defined as forests or wetlands) within the larger landscape, and time of day. Specifically, we documented larger groups in areas near anthropogenic development, in areas with high predator use intensity, and when predators were active. Additionally, we found larger groups during dawn and dusk when deer were most active in locations with sparse local cover when the area of concealment in the surrounding landscape was small, and within dense local cover when the area of concealment in the surrounding landscape was large. Our methods can aid future behavioral and ecological studies, as we present a clear and easily replicable strategy that infers group membership from spatiotemporal proximity, corrects for differences in detectability, and enables sampling across large spatial and long temporal scales. Our findings indicate that fear of natural predators and anthropogenic disturbance interactively explain variation in group size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frogs are a representative taxon that use advertisement calls to aid in reproduction. In most frog species, calls vary with body size, and allometric constraints between body size and call frequency have been widely reported among anuran species. Although this variation is an important driver of sexual selection in frogs, male advertisement call strategies may also vary according to body size. In this study, we conducted playback experiments on the male forest green tree frog (Zhangixalus arboreus) to determine whether male advertisement call characteristics and strategies vary according to body size and the amplitude of intraspecific chorus noise. The results indicated that the calls of larger individuals are louder and lower than those of smaller ones, who call more frequently; moreover, the calls become lower, and the number of calls decreases, as noise levels increase. These findings suggest that forest green tree frog emits lower calls or refrains from calling when chorus noise increases, and that intraspecific variation in advertisement call characteristics can induce different strategies in response to chorus noise. Because advertisement call variation with body size is common among frog species, intraspecific variation in male advertisement call strategies may also be a common phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the largest fish species, the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is found circumglobally in temperate and tropical waters. Though historical documents have recorded their presence in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE), basking sharks are now only rarely observed in this part of their range. We compiled recent and historical data from systematic surveys (1962–1997) and other sources (1973–2018) to (i) examine temporal patterns of basking shark sightings in the CCE, and (ii) determine the spatial, temporal, and environmental drivers that have affected basking shark presence and distribution here for the last 50 years. We first calculated variation in basking shark sightings and school size over time. We then generated species distribution models using the systematic survey data and evaluated the performance of these models against the more recent non-systematic sightings data. The sightings records indicated that the number of shark sightings was variable across years, but the number and probability of sightings declined in the mid-1980s. The systematic survey data showed up to nearly 4,000 sharks sighted per year until the 1990s, after which there were no sightings reported. In parallel, there was more than a 50% decline in school size from the 1960s to the 1980s (57.2 to 24.0 individuals per group). During the subsequent decades in the non-systematic data (>1990), less than 60 sharks were sighted per year. There were no schools larger than 10 reported, and the mean school size in the last decade (2010s) was 3.53 individuals per group. Low sea surface temperature and high chlorophyll a concentration increased sightings probability, and prevailing climatic oscillations (El Nino-Southern Oscillation index, North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation) were also correlated with basking shark presence. Lastly, we observed a significant shift in the seasonality of sightings, from the fall and spring during the systematic survey period to the summer months after the 2000s. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research and conservation efforts; specifically, coordinating the documentation of fisheries mortalities and sightings throughout the Pacific basin would facilitate more robust population estimates and identify sources of mortality. Additionally, monitoring shark fin markets and developing region-specific genetic markers would help ensure that convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) regulations are being followed.

Abstract Background Previous bibliometric studies in scientific researchers from developed countries generally support that sharing efforts during research enhances productivity and impact and suggest these effects may be important for researchers from less developed countries exhibiting more exiguous science budgets. We examined whether researchers in the field of animal behavior in an economically less developed country compensate for this burden by collaborating with researchers from developed countries, and whether this effect is gender specific. Methods We quantified collaborations of 30 Chilean-based focal animal behavioralists with peers from developed countries based on co-authorships within 664 animal behavior papers. We examined whether the mean number, or mean proportion of such co-authorships was positively associated with productivity (number of research papers) and impact (h-index, citations per research paper) when gender, author role (i.e., first or corresponding author), and other covariates were considered. We complemented these analyses with a survey to focal researchers to estimate the perceived relevance of collaborations with peers from developed countries. Results The h-index, but not the number of animal behavior papers published by focal researchers, increased with the mean number (but not with the mean proportion) of international co-authors from developed countries, an effect not gender-specific, but that supported the perceived importance of collaborations with peers from developed countries. The number of papers and the individual impact of focal researchers increased with academic age. The number of citations of individual papers increased with journal impact factor, year since publication, but not with the role (first or corresponding author) played by collaborators from developed countries. Conclusions Our bibliometric and survey-based approach supported that establishing collaborations with researchers from developed countries and publishing in high impact factor journals are correlated with the career-long impact of Chilean-based animal behavioralists, and that this association is not contingent on gender, or influenced by the role (first or corresponding author) played by collaborators.

Currently, most terrestrial ecosystems are altered by human activities. As a consequence of land-use change, many primate species inhabit human-modified landscapes. However, our understanding of primate behavioral flexibility and adaptation mechanism and the degree to which it will enable primates to survive along local people in the long term remains limited. Understanding the survival and persistence mechanisms of primates in mosaic agriculture and human settlement landscapes is essential for their conservation. Geladas (Theropithecus gelada) are diurnal and highly social primates endemic to Ethiopia. Currently, most gelada populations exist in grassland fragments surrounded by mosaic agriculture and human settlement landscapes. They are one of the best examples of primate commensalism with humans. According to the IUCN Red List, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) although their numbers are decreasing. Here, I review the key adaptation mechanisms underlying the survival of geladas in human-modified landscapes. Use of both aboveground and underground diet items upon seasonal requirements, social grouping pattern/dynamicity, cliff animal, feeding time adjustment, terrestriality, occupancy of wide altitudinal ranges, and utilizing energy-rich crops are the main adaptive strategies of geladas to survive in highly human-modified landscapes of the Ethiopian Highlands. Understanding the adaptive mechanisms of geladas in human-modified landscapes will contribute to a better contextualization of how changing habitats shape the behavioral ecology and evolution of primate species. I recommend that future research should explore the conservation value of human-modified landscapes for the survival of geladas and other primate species.

The 50th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Konrad Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen, and Karl von Frisch, arguably one of the most significant events in the history of ethology, has gone virtually unnoticed. Students and newcomers to the field may be wrongly led to believe that ethology has lost its prominent role as the leading discipline at the forefront of studies of animal behavior with a biological foundation. However, the decline of ethology is more apparent than real, in part a consequence of tying the discipline to a particular theoretical approach (i.e., that of classical ethology), but also due to the historical amnesia affecting many areas of science and the uneasy relationship of ethology with some of its own subdisciplines. Behavioral ecology emerged in the 1970s as an ethological subdiscipline devoted to the study of behavioral function, one of the four aims of ethology famously identified by Tinbergen. Behavioral ecology became extremely popular, but was criticized due to its narrow focus on behavioral function. With the new millennium came a return to a more balanced approach to the study of animal behavior, with frequent calls to recover the balance between the different areas of study and the integrative spirit that many consider one of the most distinctive features of ethology. Still, some behavioral ecologists contend that ethology disappeared shortly after Lorenz, Tinbergen, and von Frisch's Nobel Prize award and has been replaced by behavioral ecology, and offer revisionist narratives of the aims and scope of both disciplines in support of this contention. Contrary to this view, modern ethology remains a necessary and coherent endeavor that encompasses and subsumes all four of Tinbergen's aims, including those considered to be part of the agenda of behavioral ecology. The challenge for the next 50 years will be to preserve the ethological legacy of pursuing the four aims and their integration across levels of biological organization, taxa, methodologies, and interdisciplinary boundaries for a complete understanding of animal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous bibliometric studies in scientific researchers from developed countries generally support that sharing efforts during research enhances productivity and impact and suggest these effects may be important for researchers from less developed countries exhibiting more exiguous science budgets. We examined whether researchers in the field of animal behavior in an economically less developed country compensate for this burden by collaborating with researchers from developed countries, and whether this effect is gender specific. Methods: We quantified collaborations of 30 Chilean-based focal animal behavioralists with peers from developed countries based on co-authorships within 664 animal behavior papers. We examined whether the mean number, or mean proportion of such co-authorships was positively associated with productivity (number of research papers) and impact (h-index, citations per research paper) when gender, author role (i.e., first or corresponding author), and other covariates were considered. We complemented these analyses with a survey to focal researchers to estimate the perceived relevance of collaborations with peers from developed countries. Results: The h-index, but not the number of animal behavior papers published by focal researchers, increased with the mean number (but not with the mean proportion) of international co-authors from developed countries, an effect not gender-specific, but that supported the perceived importance of collaborations with peers from developed countries. The number of papers and the individual impact of focal researchers increased with academic age. The number of citations of individual papers increased with journal impact factor, year since publication, but not with the role (first or corresponding author) played by collaborators from developed countries. Conclusions: Our bibliometric and survey-based approach supported that establishing collaborations with researchers from developed countries and publishing in high impact factor journals are correlated with the career-long impact of Chilean-based animal behavioralists, and that this association is not contingent on gender, or influenced by the role (first or corresponding author) played by collaborators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Animals commonly form groups with conspecifics. Hypotheses on the drivers of group size often (but not always) pertain to fear of predation and food availability or quality. However, for a more complete understanding of group forming, multiple, possibly interacting mechanisms should be considered. We used camera traps, detectability estimates from distance sampling, and hierarchical Bayesian modeling to index group size and test multiple additive and interacting group‐formation hypotheses in white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), within Indiana, USA. We found a strong relationship between our index of group size and (1) a three‐way interaction between spatiotemporal pulses in fear of natural predation risk and anthropogenic development and (2) a three‐way interaction between the local cover (defined as the amount of vegetative cover in the immediate area of the camera), the area of concealment (defined as forests or wetlands) within the larger landscape, and time of day. Specifically, we documented larger groups in areas near anthropogenic development, in areas with high predator use intensity, and when predators were active. Additionally, we found larger groups during dawn and dusk when deer were most active in locations with sparse local cover when the area of concealment in the surrounding landscape was small, and within dense local cover when the area of concealment in the surrounding landscape was large. Our methods can aid future behavioral and ecological studies, as we present a clear and easily replicable strategy that infers group membership from spatiotemporal proximity, corrects for differences in detectability, and enables sampling across large spatial and long temporal scales. Our findings indicate that fear of natural predators and anthropogenic disturbance interactively explain variation in group size.

In The Dawn of Everything, Graeber and Wengrow (G–W) demonstrate the diversity of social structures, coined here "technological/institutional regimes" (TIRs), of the past 14 millennia. While G–W recognize the role of economic/ecological determinants, but only at secondary approximation. At first approximation, the motor behind the diversity of TIRs are two motives: i) the quest after freedom; and ii) the quest after cultural identity. This article argues that the set of the economic/ecological determinants is as important as the set of freedom/identity determinants. To assign a primary role to one set over the other amounts to reifying a false dichotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interference competition, a category of interspecific competition, is a critical aspect of understanding the dynamics of carnivore communities, as it can result in a decline in the health and reduced opportunity for resource acquisition of one or both competing species. Heavy snowfall environments during winter are expected to exacerbate interference competition due to decreased food resources and limited foraging opportunities caused by snow cover. However, knowledge on interference competition in such environments is limited. Using camera traps with baits, we evaluated the interference competition among three sympatric medium-sized carnivores, red foxes, raccoon dogs, and Japanese martens, within a heavy snowfall region of northeastern Japan. As in previous studies, we hypothesized that body weight would serve as a determining factor for superiority in winter snow environments. Diel activity patterns using the visitation time to baits did not reveal any clear differences. Nevertheless, the daytime occurrence frequency of Japanese martens during the snowfall season was higher than that of the other two species, indicating inferiority to the other species. The analysis of time intervals between species visiting baits revealed no clear superiority among the target species. These findings suggest that the interspecific relationships among medium-sized carnivores in winter snowy environments are complex and not easily determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food availability is an important factor affecting the feeding strategies of animals. Primate species living in habitats with high human activity have the potential to employ unique strategies to utilize human food resources. This study describes the feeding ecology of provisioned free-ranging long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) inhabiting Alas Purwo National Park, East Java, Indonesia. The activity budgets, dietary compositions, vertical usage, and ranging patterns of macaques were recorded between October 2021 and March 2022, and their relationships with the number of visitors (a proxy of human food availability) were examined. The macaques consumed more human food (mean ± SD: 53.9 ± 25.6%) than natural food (43.8 ± 25.5%), followed by unidentified food (2.3 ± 6.3%). Human food has several effects on the behavioral ecology of macaques, including reduced movement and increased social activity in response to the number of visitors, decreased consumption of natural food, frequent use of the ground and subcanopy strata, and decreased home range when the number of visitors increases. Thus, the relative importance of human food has substantially changed the essential behavioral ecology of provisioned macaque troops. Understanding the behavioral plasticity of macaques, particularly their responses to anthropogenic effects, could guide and contribute to the formulation of conservation policies and management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although climate change occurs alongside other anthropogenic ecosystem impacts, little is known about how sea-surface temperature variability influences the ecotoxicology of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). We analyzed POP contaminant levels, and stable isotopes δ15N and δ13C as measures of trophic position, in eggs collected from the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea between 1999 and 2010 from two similar avian species with different trophic positions: common murres (Uria aalge) and thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia). The ebb and flow of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), a long-lived El Niño-like pattern of climate variability in the Pacific Ocean, predicted both trophic position and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in thick-billed murres, but not in common murres. There was a similar pattern of association of the PDO with organochlorine pesticide levels in thick-billed murres, but not in common murres. The magnitude of association in thick-billed murres of PDO with the level of a specific PCB congener was a function of the number of chlorine groups on the PCB congener. Although this statistical analysis does not account for all factors contributing to climate variation, this contrast between the species suggests that facultative changes in foraging behavior, reflected in trophic position, can determine how POPs flow through and thereby alter ecosystems under climate change.

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) use both oceanic and neritic habitats depending on their life stage, eventually undertaking an ontogenetic shift. Juveniles likely start foraging in a purely opportunistic manner and later seek resources more actively. In the Indian Ocean, it is still unclear where oceanic-stage individuals go, what they do, and importantly where they forage. Yet, such information is crucial to protect this endangered species from anthropogenic threats such as bycatch in fisheries. To address this, 67 individuals (66 late juveniles and one adult) bycaught in the open ocean were equipped with satellite tags and released in the Southwestern Indian Ocean between 2008 and 2021. Most individuals traveled to the Northwestern Indian Ocean where they used neritic habitats of the continental shelf (i.e., largely between 0 and 200-m depth). Using hidden Markov models, we identified three types of movements likely associated with traveling, wandering, and foraging behaviors. We found that the movement characteristics of these behaviors differ depending on turtles’ target destination and habitat (oceanic vs neritic), highlighting different strategies of habitat use among individuals of presumably the same life stage (late juveniles). The turtles that traveled to the Northwestern Indian Ocean encountered warmer waters (mean = 27.6°C, min. = 20.6°C, max. = 33.1°C) than their counterparts remaining in the Southern Hemisphere (mean = 22.5°C, min. = 14.6°C, max. = 29.7°C) but were found foraging at locations with comparable biomass of potential prey (mean = 2.5 g C m-2, min. = 0.5 g C m-2, max. = 10.4 g C m-2) once in the Northern Hemisphere. It remains obscure why these individuals undertook a trans-equatorial migration. Once in neritic habitats, the proportion of time spent traveling was considerably reduced (from 33% to 19%) and allocated to foraging instead. In light of this, it is very likely that the individuals migrated to the Northwestern Indian Ocean to undergo an oceanic-to-neritic ontogenetic shift. Our study sheds light on the behavioral ecology of loggerhead turtles and identifies important foraging areas in the Western Indian Ocean, with the top-three most densely used ones being the Gulf of Oman, the Central Somali Coast, and the Western Arabian Sea.

Addressing climate change and biodiversity loss will be the defining ecological, political, and humanitarian challenge of our time. Alarmingly, policymakers face a narrowing window of opportunity to prevent the worst impacts, necessitating complex decisions about which land to set aside for biodiversity preservation. Yet, our ability to make these decisions is hindered by our limited capacity to predict how species will respond to synergistic drivers of extinction risk. We argue that a rapid integration of biogeography and behavioral ecology can meet these challenges because of the distinct, yet complementary levels of biological organization they address, scaling from individuals to populations, and from species and communities to continental biotas. This union of disciplines will advance efforts to predict biodiversity's responses to climate change and habitat loss through a deeper understanding of how biotic interactions and other behaviors modulate extinction risk, and how responses of individuals and populations impact the communities in which they are embedded. Fostering a rapid mobilization of expertise across behavioral ecology and biogeography is a critical step toward slowing biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we present a set of algorithms using the Python programming language, that will allow using a routine for object detection and tracking in experimental videos. We developed a script, under the fundamentals of background subtraction and image thresholding (using the OpenCV package), that makes it possible to track a wide spectrum of animals under different conditions. We have validated this script through testing on semi-terrestrial and aquatic crustacean species and under different experimental scenarios (laboratory and field sampling and using video created under nocturnal and diurnal conditions). The open-source nature of the script allows for flexibility and scalability, so it can be easily customized and is thus transferable to other species/experiments in the context of behavioral ecology. The tracking script is easy customizable and free alternative to commercial video tracking systems and therefore, applicable to a wide variety of both educational and research programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First pioneered in 2010, Fish Cam provides the opportunity for students to engage in novel behavioral research without the need for extensive materials or for leaving the classroom. Fish Cam utilizes a robust behavioral paradigm, shoaling behavior in fish, and enables students to collect information from simple, easy-to-understand observations, allowing for student-led experimental design, data collection, analysis, and discussions on the scientific process. In these ways Fish Cam removes the cost and time-intensive aspects of doing this sort of work in the classroom. Shoaling behavior, which is well represented in the scientific literature, refers to social aggregations of fish. Almost all species of fish form shoals, and this process is easy to study under laboratory conditions. An evolutionary adaptation, shoaling provides individuals better access to resources and decreases the risk of predation. In its initial launch, Fish Cam was highly successful as a learning tool but suffered from difficulties associated with delivering the information online in 2010. Now, with the rapid development of online communication tools associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have the second iteration of Fish Cam. The flexibility of new delivery platforms enables partner organizations to view experiments and adapt the experience to their specific educational goals. Here we present an overview of Fish Cam, including lesson plans, a description of shoaling behavior in fish, and the results of Fish Cam studies run in the fall of 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]