معرفی
Associate Professor Karen Cheney is a marine ecologist at The University of Queensland, leading the Marine Sensory Ecology Group and serving as Academic Director of the Moreton Bay Research Station. Her work focuses on predator-prey interactions, animal signaling, and color pattern evolution in marine organisms, particularly nudibranchs and reef fish. She co-leads conservation projects on seahorse conservation and shellfish reef restoration in SE Queensland, and is Deputy Director of the Centre for Marine Science.
- Education: BSc(Hons) from The University of Manchester; PhD from University of East Anglia; Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education from UQ.
- Roles: Director of Centre for Marine Science; Affiliate Associate Professor at Queensland Brain Institute.
Her research integrates sensory, behavioral, and chemical ecology using innovative methods like underwater spectral analysis and CRISPR technology. Key areas include aposematic signaling in nudibranchs, UV vision in anemonefishes, and the ecological role of color patterns in predator avoidance. She collaborates widely on projects addressing marine conservation and visual system evolution.
Recent work explores how chemical defenses correlate with color patterns, UV vision’s role in fish behavior, and the application of quantitative color analysis (QCPA) to ecological studies. Projects also investigate the impacts of cleaner fish on reef ecosystems and the functional significance of structural coloration in marine species.
Her lab develops cutting-edge tools like multi-channel LED displays for UV perception studies and automated workflows for color pattern analysis. These innovations advance understanding of how marine organisms perceive and communicate within their environments.
