Sam Matchette

I am fascinated by the behavioural strategies of predators and their prey. My PhD largely concerned how the presence of visual noise (in the form of dynamic illumination) within a habitat can alter the salience of motion, and subsequently influence predator-prey interactions and foraging behaviour. Two forms of dynamic illumination were of interest: dappled light (in terrestrial environments) and water caustics ("wave-induced flicker"; in aquatic environments). I am continuing this theme throughout my current role, expanding our knowledge to highlight how water caustics in marine habitats can also influence social interactions and collective behaviour. I am also interested in the emergence of interspecific foraging strategies and the ecological factors that may determine such interactions. In particular, I study the foraging behaviour and wider ecology of the trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculatus.