PUBLIC LECTURE: Light and the sea: an ocean of opportunities to understand the eye and brain

A public lecture by Professor Shaun P. Collin, WA Premier’s Research Fellow, and Winthrop Professor, The UWA Oceans Institute.

The eye, and ultimately the brain, mediates the detection of light by all organisms on earth. However, eyes are all different and the levels of light available for vision vary enormously in different environments.

This lecture will examine what constitutes an “eye” and the range of functions it has in image formation and setting circadian rhythms in animals that inhabit the ocean and compare these to the eyes of terrestrial animals, including humans.

The oceans are filled with exquisite examples about how light is used for survival and many of these models are informing us of new light detection mechanisms that can be useful for understanding not only the evolution of the eye but also how important it is in maintaining optimal human health.

Cost: Free, no RSVP required.