The work in Dr. McDonald’s Rosenstiel School Toadfish Lab is a mixture of whole animal physiology, molecular biology, endocrinology pharmacology, behavior, and toxicology. We study the Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta), a marine fish, as well as other organisms such as the California sea hare (Aplysia californica) because they are tough animals that can tolerate various environmental stressors. Using a variety of experimental approaches we study serotonin dynamics, stress physiology, chemical communication, and tolerance to environmental stressors such as hypoxia and pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, and ammonia. The information we learn helps us to understand how animals survive fluctuations in their environment. Our findings can also be applied to the study of human health and disease.
