Member SpotlightsNeurophysiology Studies of Marine Life Jonathan Lovell, Ph.D. A Science Advisory Board Member Since 2005 Jonathan Lovell, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Science and School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth, UK, where he studies the inner ears of fish and small mammals to develop an understanding towards the evolution of auditory systems. He reviews academic papers for several high ranking journals and also provides expert opinions in the bioacoustics field for The National Science Foundation (US). Lovell is a panel member of the National Inter-Agency Committee on Marine Science and Technology (IACMST) underwater sound forum, hosted by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), and a marine mammal strandings volunteer for the Devon and Cornwall Wildlife Trusts.  Academic & Professional Background I Earned a Ph.D. (part-time) in Neuroscience at the University of Plymouth in 2005 having developed research interests in neurophysiology, sound perception and the effects of environmental noise pollution on the central nervous system of marine animals. Over the last five years, I have been the lead researcher in a series of laboratory-based histopathological and electrophysiological research projects investigating the marine vertebrate and invertebrate auditory and vestibular systems both in-vivo and in-vitro. I also gained considerable practical surgical experience and developed micro-dissection techniques for the pathological examination of highly specific structures (e.g. cerebral and cranial nerve tissue, inner ear hair cells, etc). Much of this work has been published in peer-reviewed journals (over 10 manuscripts in the past 18 months), including the Journal of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, the Journal of Microscopy and Journal of Experimental Biology. The first publication (Lovell et al., 2005 A) describes a pioneering work investigating hearing in invertebrates and offers the first evidence of hearing in the conventional sense from any crustacean species. In a second series of experiments (Lovell et al., 2006 C) the influence of body size versus the amplitude of auditory evoked potentials in a sound field was investigated in the prawn (P. serratus), thus allowing for the inclusion of crustaceans from post metamorphosis to adult in assessing/mitigating the effects of intense noise within the marine environment. The second set of papers (Lovell et al., 2005 B,C, Lovell et al., 2006 B and Lovell et al., 2007 A) investigate the morphology and polarity of the hair cells in the otolithic end organs from fish using SEM and TEM microscopy. In each case, the polarity maps and descriptions of the internal morphology of the hair cells had not previously been described for any of the selected species, thus providing essential information for comparative studies (e.g. post exposure to noise or other environmental contaminants). The third set of publications (Lovell et al., 2005 D, Lovell et al., 2006 A) investigates the hearing abilities of the primitive paddlefish and sturgeon and the specialist silver and bighead carps, commissioned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This work involved the application of ABR electrophysiology techniques to determine hearing thresholds as the basis for “fine tuning” a selective acoustic fish deterrent system. The most recent publication (Lovell & Harper, 2007 B) looks at the morphology of the domestic pig ear using SEM and TEM technology. The rationale behind this work was to acquire the necessary skills and methodologies required to investigate the dolphin inner ear for environmental monitoring purposes. The substitution is based on the phylogenic relationship between pigs and dolphins, and the comparability of body mass and general anatomy between these two animals. This allowed for the development of directly transferable protocols for the fixation and micro-dissection of the inner ear, being equally appropriate for all large mammals including humans.  Research Interests Although a great body of published literature is devoted to the study of the inner ears of fish and small mammals, the structure and layout of the inner ear is often species specific; thus concise morphological descriptions can be of great benefit toward understanding the evolution of auditory systems in general. The primary focus of the research in the longer term is directed toward continuing the histological and physiological examination of marine vertebrate hearing, whilst including terrestrial vertebrates from both the reptilian and avian orders. 2001: I participated in a pan-European collaborative research project investigating the feasibility of free-range fish farming using acoustics to control spatial movements of stock. The project was in collaboration with the University of Plymouth (principle investigative institute), the Institute of Technology in Trondheim (Norway), and the University of Barcelona (Spain). The results of the audiological investigation of hearing in the commercially important sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax have been published in peer-reviewed journals, and as part of the Ph.D. work described in the brief biography section. This work has also been extended to West Africa where links have been formed with the University of Ghana. 2004-2005: I provided the US Fish and Wildlife Service with histopathological and neurophysiological data required to create a selective acoustic barrier as a management strategy in preventing the spread of alien carp species into the Great Lakes of North America, while simultaneously allowing the passage of indigenous fish. The project was funded by the US Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The live fish experiments were conducted at the Illinois Natural History Survey Laboratories (USA) and the histological samples investigated at the Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre (UK). The work has resulted in the publication of four peer-reviewed manuscripts in international standard journals. 2006: I examined the morphology of the inner ear of the dogfish as part of a commercial contract, which resulted in one peer reviewed publication. In addition I began investigating and developing the required protocols to investigate the inner ear hair cells from a large mammal for educational and commercial interests. This has resulted in a seminal publication in the December 2007 edition of the Journal of Microscopy. 2007: I determined the hearing ability of the twaite shad using the ABR neurological approach for the Environment Agency, as part of a mitigation strategy for an underground drilling/tunneling project. The work resulted in the submission of a manuscript for publication in the Journal of Fish Biology. Career Motivations After spending much of my life close to the ocean, I became absolutely fascinated with the way many marine animals use sound in their day to day lives, from small shrimps to mighty cetaceans in an environment that is often dark with poor visibility. The sense of hearing is particularly evolved in some cetaceans and can cover a frequency range of up to five times greater than the audible frequency range of the dog. However, in an environment where some animals have evolved hearing to the point where it is comparable to vision, man is producing what can best be described as blinding flashes of sound (seismic discharge during oil and gas surveys, or underwater explosives detonated by the military during training, etc). The physiological effect of such anthropogenic activity needs to be assessed using rigorous scientific techniques in order to provide concise evidence of (or absence of) trauma to the auditory systems of potentially affected marine animals. If you'd like to comment on this article, or join in discussion on other topics with SAB members, please visit our community forums. Web Resources ARIA Marine Ltd. Publications ### << Previous [ View All Member Spotlights ] |
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