Job Title:Associate Professor
Employer:University of Manitoba
Place of Birth:London, United Kingdom
Public Schools attended: Polson Park Elementary, Calvin Park (both in
Kingston, Ontario) and the City of London School for Boys (London, England)
High School attended:Loyalist Collegiate & Vocational Institute
(Kingston, Ontario)
Further Education:University of Western Ontario (B.Sc.), Queen's University (M.Sc), Simon Fraser University (Ph.D.)
Geographic focus of research:Manitoba, British
Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Scotland.
Brief synopsis of current research:
I focus on predator-prey interactions involving fishes. Current research
is examining several questions. How do fish integrate information from
multiple senses when making decisions involving the risk of predation? For
a fish as a predator to consume its prey, it must normally be much larger
than its prey. What are the physiological and ecological costs associated
with this variation in size, and how does it affect their ability to use
different microhabitats? I am also working with genetically modified fish
that have had their growth rates dramatically altered. These animals are
very useful for gaining insight into the costs and benefits associated with
different growth rates. This research area also allows me to begin studying
the potential environmental risk posed by these
animals.
Mailing Address:
Department of Zoology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2
Email:
Mark_Abrahams@Umanitoba.ca
Recent Publications:
Hartman, E.J. & M.V. Abrahams (2000). Sensory compensation and the
detection of predators: the interaction between chemical and visual
information. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences.
Abrahams M.V. & T.C. Pratt (2000). Hormonal manipulations of growth rate and its influence on predator avoidance -- foraging tradeoffs. Canadian Journal of Zoology
Abrahams, M.V. & R.V. Cartar (2000). Within group variation in the willingness to risk exposure to a predator: the influence of species and size. Oikos
Abrahams, M.V. & A. Sutterlin (1999). The foraging and antipredator behaviour of growth enhanced transgenic Atlantic Salmon. Animal Behaviour 58: 933-942
Abrahams, M.V. & M.G. Kattenfeld (1997). The role of turbidity as a constraint on predator-prey interactions in aquatic environments. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology. 40: 169-174.