2022 Sönke Johnsen

Originally trained in mathematics and art, Dr. Sönke Johnsen has studied camouflage, signaling, and non-human visual modalities for the last decades. He is particularly interested in vision and camouflage in the open ocean and worked on coastal and terrestrial species, magnetoreception, nocturnal illumination, and human cataracts. His research combines mathematical analyses with behavioral and morphological studies and in situ measurements and imaging. His fieldwork primarily involves open-ocean research cruises that use SCUBA and deep-sea submersibles. In addition to exploring the evolution and diversity of the optical and visual tricks that animals perform, Dr. Johnsen is interested in improving communication between theoretical and experimental scientists and between scientists and artists. His research has been presented in numerous magazines, newspapers, and television shows.