Colour and emotions

The aim of this project is to decipher the emotional code of colours. The colour-emotion association is probably defined by neural representation of colours in human brain. However, it strongly depends on culture and on individual experience of each person. The study of colour-emotion association has practical applications. Individualised choice of colours in mental health apps can improve their efficiency. We study colour-music association, mood-colour association, colour preferences in adults and children. We also analyse the use of colours in art.

Strike accuracy and monocular stereopsis in mantis shrimps (Fully funded PhD position is available)

Mantis shrimps have the fastest strike among aquatic animals. The impact of a peacock mantis shrimp strike is comparable to that of a .22 calibre bullet – powerful enough to break aquarium glass. Mantis shrimps are vicious fighters and hunters whose survival depends critically on the strike accuracy. To deliver an accurate strike, mantis shrimps need to judge distance accurately and, hence, to have good vision. Indeed, mantis shrimps have the most sophisticated eyes in the world. For colour vision, they use 12 spectrally distinct photoreceptors, and are the only group of animals known to perceive circular polarisation of light. It was suggested that, in order to judge distance, mantis shrimps use monocular stereopsis by comparing images in two acute zones of one eye in the same way as other animals use two eyes for binocular stereopsis. So far, monocular stereopsis has not been demonstrated in any animal. The aim of this project is to test the monocular stereopsis hypothesis.

Colour blind camouflage in octopus

ColourBlindCamouflage

Octopus is a master of camouflage – it matches colour and texture of background in fraction of a second making it virtually invisible. Octopus also has superb vision – its camera-type eye has high resolution and it is able to detect polarisation of light, a feature of light that we cannot see. However, octopus has only one type of visual pigment and, therefore, is colour-blind. The aim of this project is to reveal the mechanisms that allow octopus to match background colour.

Flower colours in relation to pollinator vision

Angiosperm plants use brightly coloured flowers to advertise a reward of nectar and pollen to insects and birds that pollinate them. What makes flowers attractive to insect and birds? What are the evolutionary pressures that affect flower colours and shapes? How do the visual capacities of pollinators shape the colours and shape of flowers? To answer these questions, we study flower colours and record flower images and model the appearance of flowers as they are seen through the eyes of pollinators.

Information theory and evolution of colour vision

Different animals have different numbers and spectral types of photoreceptors in their eyes. Birds, many reptiles and fish have four spectral types of cones, Old World primates have three, and non-primate mammals have two. Why did the ancestors of modern animals loose certain photoreceptors or gained a new one? How are the numbers and spectral types of photoreceptors related to habits and habitats of animals? Can evolution of primate colour vision be explained as an adaptation to foraging on colourful fruits? To answer this questions, we use information theory and estimate costs and benefits of increasing or decreasing the number of spectral types of photoreceptors.

Bycatch reduction by illuminating fishing gear and adjusting its colour

Coloured lights that look bright to one animal may look dim to another, and fishing gear that is conspicuous to one animal may be cryptic to another. Also, lights that look pulsing to one animal can look steady to another. We will explore the differences in visual capacities between target and bycatch species to develop smart lights tailored for each target-bycatch combination. To find out which lights attract target species and deter bycatch species, and which lights facilitate escape bycatch from trawl nets, we will combine molecular genetics with physiology and behaviour and model of appearance of fishing gear to marine animals. The aim of our research is to develop smart lights controlled by AI that will reduce bycatch, increase target catch, and deter marine mammals and penguins from trawl nets.