Animals have evolved behaviours that allow them to grow, survive and reproduce, all under environmental and physiological constraints. In aquatic environments, behavioural processes range from automated responses to external stimuli to learning and cooperation between individuals. The aquatic behavioural group study behavioural adaptations in marine and freshwater parasites, zooplankton and fish and their consequences for ecosystems, management and fish farming. Combining field studies, laboratory experiments and models we study how organisms respond to the ambient environment (i. e. hypoxia, temperature), find food, avoid predators and seek out mates.

We have strong links to the research groups in “Modelling”, “Evolutionary ecology”, “Fish Biology", "Ecology and Reproduction”, “Marine Biodiversity” and "Applied Industrial Biology” and have international and national collaborators in The Norwegian-South Africa collaboration, EU, NORFA and NFR.