Welcome to the Sensory Ecology and Evolution group!

We study animal coloration and vision in a wide range of animals. Much of our current research focusses on marine biology, especially in intertidal species, but we also work with birds, reptiles, insects, primates, and even humans! We study core questions in biology, and increasingly investigate human impacts on the natural world, from noise pollution to climate change. The lab is run by Martin Stevens, and you can find out more about him and all the other lab members here.

Much of our work focuses on protective coloration, such as camouflage, warning signals, and mimicry, but we also study other subjects, including several projects testing how anthropogenic impacts are influencing animal and plant coloration and behaviour, and how an understanding of animal vision can be used to aid animal welfare, safety, and performance. Our work takes place in both the lab and field, in the UK and around the world. Read more about our research projects here.

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Ultimately, our key aims are to understand how vision guides behaviour, and how diversity in animal coloration results from key evolutionary processes and characteristics of the environment, and impacts of anthropogenic change on this.

We are based in Cornwall at the Penryn Campus of Exeter University, near Falmouth, and work with a range of collaborators worldwide. We are also passionate about public engagement, outreach, and science communication.