My laboratory is interested in the neural mechanisms of behavior. We are interested in how fish detect, integrate and respond to external cues in the environment.
At the University of Minnesota Duluth, my lab works on the visual and auditory sensitivity of both marine and freshwater fishes, using both electrophysiology and behavioral studies. We have work closely with the Department for Natural Resources and the USGS to apply our understanding of fish sensory physiology to the management of invasive species, such as round goby, Neogobius melanostomsus, bighead, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix .
During the summer months, research is also conducted at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA using the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau as our model organism. For example, we have developed an implantable electrode and telemetry system to record physiological signals from free swimming fish. In addition to neurophysiology, we also conduct behavioral studies to investigate the effect of anthropogenic sound on a resident population of oyster toadfish in Eel Pond (just outside the lab).
B.S., 1983, Duke University
Ph.D., 1991, University of California Santa Barbara
amensing@d.umn.edu
(218) 726-7259
January 2025
Our Leah Glimsdahl did a successful talk at the Biology Seminar Series about her research. Tune in later this month for our other Mensinger lab seminar from Michael Frett!
Congrats to Jack Vannurden for moving to the Twin Cities campus after the spring semester to continue our carp research -- more details to come!
August 2024
Congratulations to Dr. Noland Michels on his successful Dissertation defense! Noland will be moving on to the USGS Tunison Lab of Aquatic Science and SUNY Oswego working on the reintroduction of native coregonines in Lake Erie.
Mensinger Lab welcomed Lauren Willman, Sami Awwad, Kevin Jennings, and Jack Vannurden as new MSc students at the University of Minnesota Duluth in the Water Resources Science and Integrated Biosciences programs
May 2023
Congratulations to Jackie Culotta on his successful Master's defense!
August 2022
Mensinger Lab welcomed Leah Glimsdahl as a new MSc student at the University of Minnesota Duluth in the Water Resources Science program
January 2022
Congratulations to Maya Enriquez on her successful Master's defense! Maya will be continuing on to complete her PhD at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in Dr. Suzanne McGaugh
August 2021
Mensinger Lab welcomed Josh Schrope as a new MSc student at the University of Minnesota Duluth in the Water Resources Science program
August 2020
Mensinger Lab welcomed Jackie Culotta as a new MSc student at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Noland Michels as a PhD student
July 2020
Cavefishes arrived in the Mensinger Lab! Maya Enriquez will be testing for a difference between the hearing abilities of surface and cave populations with the collaboration of Dr Suzanne McGaugh for the Twin Cities campus
June 2020
Hydrophones and underwater cameras were deployed in the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area to test the effects of noise on fish activity.
In the lab we are testing the hearing ability of lake sturgeon and largemouth bass