Abstract

Projected near-future ocean CO₂ levels alter behaviours that affect survival, such as predator escape and foraging, in marine invertebrates. However, the mechanisms responsible for these effects are poorly understood. My research will use experimental and molecular approaches to determine the neurobiological mechanisms through which elevated CO₂ affects cephalopod behaviours, focusing on squid. A mechanistic understanding will be important for making predictions on which invertebrates will be most sensitive to rising CO₂ levels.

Biography

Jodi completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Zoology and Neuroscience at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Her honours project, and following work as a research assistant, focused on the neuroendocrine regulatory and molecular mechanisms underlying female to male sex change in sequentially hermaphroditic fish. Jodi is currently a PhD candidate at James Cook University, under the supervision of Prof. Philip Munday and Dr. Sue-Ann Watson. She is investigating the neurobiological mechanisms through which elevated CO₂ affects cephalopod behaviours. Jodi is interested in the intersection of neuroscience and zoology, and the role of the brain in behaviour and phenotypic plasticity.