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 Peter W. Sorensen
Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
Sorensen
Lab Website
Phone: 612-624-4997
E-mail: soren003@umn.edu
Ph.
D. University of Rhode Island
Fields of Interest
Physiology and behavior of fish; olfaction; fish reproductive biology;
pheromones; control of exotics; fish migration; aquatic chemical
ecology
Courses
- FW3136 and FW5136 Ichthyology
- FW2003 Marine Biology
- Tropical Island Marine Ecology Lab
- FW5xxx
Fish Physiology and Molecular Biology
- FW5xxy Fish Behavior
- FW4401 Introduction to
Fish Physiology and Behavior
- FW8461 Advanced Topics in Fish Physiology
- FW8462
Advanced Topics in Fisheries
Research
My research focuses on the sense of smell and the fundamental role it plays
in fish behavior. A secondary interest lies with the actions of hormones and
endocrine disrupters (EDCs) on fish behavior; this interest is derived from
my discovery that many fish pheromones are hormone metabolites. My focus on
fish chemoreception is driven by the fact that most fish rely on odors to find
food, recognize optimal habitat and mate Ð yet we know little about it.
Of course, the specificity and potency of pheromones also readily lend them
to use in control of unwanted nuisance species, a topic my laboratory is investigating
for sea lamprey, common carp, and the Eurasian ruffe. Additionally, fish olfactory
systems are similar to those employed by other vertebrates, making them excellent
models for basic neurobiology.
I am pleased to have students from all over the world with basic and applied
interests in fisheries biology, chemical ecology, neuroscience, animal behavior
and endocrinology. My laboratory is one of the few in the world devoted to the
study of fish pheromones. Ongoing projects include: (1) identifying the sea
lamprey migratory pheromone; (2) characterizing the use of mixtures in goldfish
hormonal sex pheromones; (3) elucidating the behavioral mechanisms by which
migratory sea lamprey locate spawning streams from the Great Lakes; (4) identifying
the neural pathways responsible for sex pheromone discrimination in goldfish;
(5) characterizing sex hormone function in male fathead minnows and the effects
of endocrine disrupters on it; (6) developing pheromonal bait attractants for
common carp; and (7) the use of olfactory cues in stream finding by native Hawaiian
gobies.
We have excellent facilities to conduct these studies. These include a large
fish holding facility with state-of-the-art video digitization equipment for
studies of behavior, a modern HPLC for analysis of hormones and pheromones,
EIA plate readers, and a well-equipped electrophysiology laboratory. We also
have access to field sites for special studies of fish attractants as well as
specialized biochemical equipment.
Selected Publications
- Martinovic, D, Denny, J.S., Ankley, G.T., Schmieder, P.K. and P.W. Sorensen. 2008. Temporal variation in the estrogenicity of a sewage treatment plant effluent and its biological significance. Environmental Science and Technology. 42 (9): 3421-3427
- Barata, E.N., Fine, J.M., Hubbard, P.C., Almeida, O.G., Frade, P., and Sorensen, P.W., Canario, A. V. M. 2008. A sterol-like odorant in the urine of Mozambique tilapia males likely signals social dominance to females. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34(4): 438-449.
- Derby, C.D. and Sorensen, P.W. 2008. Neural processing, perception and behavioral responses to natural chemical stimuli by fish and crustaceans. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34(7): 898-914.
- Sisler, S.P. and Sorensen, P.W. 2008. Common carp and goldfish discern conspecific identity using chemical cues. Behaviour. 145: 1409-1429.
- Fine, J.M. and Sorensen, P.W. 2008. Isolation and biological activity of the multi-component sea lamprey migratory pheromone and new information in its potency. Journal of Chemical Ecology. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34(10): 1259-1267
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