Peter W. SorensenPeter 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

  • Appelt, CA, and Sorensen, P.W.  2007.  Female goldfish signal spawning readiness by altering when and where they release a urinary pheromone.  Animals Behaviour 74: 1329-1338.
  • Sorensen, P.W. and Hoye, T.E.  2007.  A critical review of the discovery and application of a migratory pheromone in an invasive fish, the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus L.  Journal of Fish Biology 71 (supplement D): 100-114.
  • Barata, E.N., Fine, J.M., Hubbard, P.C., Almeida, O.G., Frade, P., and Sorensen, P.W., Canario, A.V.M.  (in press).  A sterol-like odorant in the urine of Mozambique tilapia males appears to signal social dominance to females.  Journal of Chemical Ecology
  • Sorensen, P.W. (in press).   Stream water creates a discernable odor gradient that migratory, juvenile American eels may follow inshore.  Diadromous Fishes Symposium
  • Derby, C.D. and Sorensen, P.W. in press. Neural processing, perception and behavioral responses to natural chemical stimuli by fish and crustaceans.  Journal of Chemical Ecology
  • Sorensen, PW.  (in press) The concentration of natural stream waters found in estuaries creates a discernable odor trail for migrating juvenile American eels.  Migratory fishes.
  • Martinovic, D., Hogarth, W. T., Jones, R. E., and Sorensen, P. W. 2007. Environmental estrogens suppress hormones, behavior, and reproductive fitness in male fathead minnows. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 26(2): 271-278.
  • Baker, C. F., Carton, A.G., Fine, J. M., and Sorensen, P. W. 2006. Can bile acids function as migratory phermones in banded kokopu Galaxius fasciatus (Gray) Ecology of Freshwater Fishes. 15: 275-383.
  • Fine, J. M., Sisler, S. P., Vrieze, L. A., Swink, W.D. and Sorensen, P. W. 2006. A practical method for obtaining useful quantities of pheromones from sea lamprey and other fishes for identification and control. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 23(4): 832-838.