Close-up of octopus suckers, photo by Jamie Andersen Fields

Onthank Cephalopod Physiology Lab

Exploring how the physiology of cephalopods and marine invertebrates enables these animals to survive and thrive in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

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The Onthank Lab research focuses on exploring how the physiology of marine invertebrates, especially cephalopods, enables these animals to survive in their environment and how it influences their interactions with other organisms.

Current Research Areas

Our lab investigates a range of questions in marine invertebrate physiology, with an emphasis on cephalopods.

Octopus arms and suckers in the lab, photo by Meg Mindlin

Cephalopod Physiology & Behavior

Investigating the physiology, energetics, and behavior of cephalopods, with a focus on how these animals interact with and adapt to dynamic marine environments.

Octopus camouflaged on the seafloor, photo by Jamie Andersen Fields

Environmental Physiology in a Changing Ocean

Exploring how marine organisms respond physiologically to ocean acidification, warming, hypoxia, and other environmental changes associated with a rapidly changing ocean.

Open-source pH and temperature control tank system

Open-Source Marine Research Tools

Developing open-source hardware, software, and computational approaches that expand access to experimental marine biology and physiological research.

Close-up of an octopus eye and skin texture, photo by Meg Mindlin

Marine Genomics & Computational Biology

Using genomics, transcriptomics, and computational biology to investigate marine organism evolution, physiology, and adaptation.

Sunset shoreline at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory

Research at the Edge of the Salish Sea

Based at Walla Walla University and the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, our research takes place at the intersection of temperate rainforest and rich marine ecosystems.

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Featured Publications

Recent peer-reviewed work from the Onthank Lab.

  • High energetic cost of color change in octopuses
    Sonner S. C. & Onthank K. L. (2024)
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121:e2408386121
    DOI
  • The Open Acidification Tank Controller: An open-source device for the control of pH and temperature in ocean acidification experiments
    Onthank K. L., Foster J., Carman E. P., Foster J. E., Culler-Juarez M. E., Calvo E., Duerksen W., Natuik T., & Saca L. (2023)
    HardwareX, 14:e00435
    DOI
  • The open-source camera trap for organism presence and underwater surveillance (OCTOPUS)
    Humbert J. W., Onthank K. L., & Williams K. (2023)
    HardwareX, 13:e00394
    DOI

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Student Research Opportunities

Undergraduate and graduate students interested in cephalopod physiology, marine biology, and hands-on research at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory are encouraged to get in touch.

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Releasing an octopus back into its natural habitat after a research study

Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory

The lab features seawater facilities, research vessels, and classroom spaces that support both teaching and research in marine biology, physiology, and ecology on the shores of the Salish Sea.

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Lab News

  • 2025
    Brandon Bowers, Joy Williams, and Meg Mindlin successfully defend their theses. Congratulations Brandon, Joy, and Meg!
  • 2024
    Sofie Sonner publishes PNAS paper on the high energetic cost of octopus color change, the first direct evidence that cephalopod camouflage carries a substantial metabolic cost.
  • 2023
    Cheyne Springbett successfully defends his thesis on burrowing behavior in the deep-water octopus Muusoctopus leioderma.

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