Mark W. Sprague, Ph.D.
Associate Professor | Assistant Chair for Undergraduate Studies
Department of Physics | East Carolina University

Mark Sprague Physics Page

Office

C209 Howell Science Complex

Office Hours: 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM Monday through Friday

Contact Information

Department of Physics, Mail Stop 563
C209 Howell Science Complex
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353 USA

+1 252-328-1862 office
+1 252-328-6314 fax
SpragueM@ecu.edu
myweb.ecu.edu/spraguem

Teaching, Fall 2024

Introductory Physics Laboratory Coordinator

Supervising professor for PHYS 1251 and PHYS 1261 General Physics Laboratories
Course Materials: Canvas

Research

Google Scholar Profile

Research Interests

Physical Acoustics: atmospheric and underwater sound propagation
Biological Acoustics: underwater sounds produced by fish, marine mammals, and invertebrates
Computational Physics: using computers to do calculations and modeling
Physics Education: improving science teaching at all levels

Sample Publications

M. W. Sprague, M. L. Fine, and T. M. Cameron (2022). "An investigation of bubble resonance and its implications for sound production by deep-water fishes," PLOS ONE, 17(7):1-24. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267338

J. J. Luczkovich and M. W. Sprague (2022). "Soundscape maps of soniferous fishes observed from a mobile glider," Frontiers in Marine Science, 9(2296-7745). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.779540/full

S. F. Wolf and M. W. Sprague (2022). "Introductory physics labs: A tale of two transformations," The Physics Teacher, 60(5):372–375. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0032370

M. W. Sprague, C. K. Krahforst, and J. J. Luczkovich (2016) "Noise propagation from vessel channels into nearby fish nesting sites in very shallow water," Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics 27(1). http://scitation.aip.org/content/asa/journal/poma/27/1/10.1121/2.0000265

J. J. Luczkovich, C. S. Krahforst, K. Kelly, and M. W. Sprague (2016). T"he Lombard effect in fishes: How boat noise impacts oyster toadfish calling rates and vocalization amplitudes in natural experiments," Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, 27(1):010035. https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/2.0000340

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2015), "Development of a finite difference time domain (FDTD) model for propagation of transient sounds in very shallow water," in Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, edited by A. N. Popper and A. D. Hawkins (Springer, New York), chap. 135.

M. Sprague and J. Luczkovich (2012), "Modeling fish aggregation sounds in very shallow water to estimate numbers of calling fish in aggregations," Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics 12(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4730158

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2012), "Modeling the propagation of transient sounds in very shallow water using finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculations," in The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, edited by A. N. Popper and A. Hawkins (Springer US), vol. 730 of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, pp. 459-461.

J. J. Luczkovich, M. W. Sprague, and C. S. Krahforst (2011), "Acoustic Behavior." In: A. P. Farrell (ed.), Encyclopedia of Fish Physiology: From Genome to Environment, volume 1, pp. 311-320. San Diego: Academic Press.

J. J. Luczkovich, R. C. Pullinger, S. E. Johnson, and M. W. Sprague (2008), "Identifying sciaenid critical spawning habitats by the use of passive acoustics," Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137, pp. 576-605.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2004), "Measurement of an individual silver perch Bairdiella chrysoura sound pressure level in a field recording ," Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 116 (5) pp. 3186-3191.

M. W. Sprague (2002), "The Single Sonic Muscle Twitch Model for Sciaenid Sound Production," Bioacoustics 12 (2 & 3) pp. 225-227.

J. J. Luczkovich and M. W. Sprague (2002), "Using Passive Acoustics to Monitor Estuarine Fish Populations," Bioacoustics 12 (2 & 3) pp. 289-292.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2001), "Do striped cusk-eels Ophidion marginatum (Ophidiidae) produce the 'chatter' sound attributed to weakfish Cynoscion regalis (Sciaenidae)?" Copeia 2001 (3) pp. 854-859.

M. W. Sprague (2000), "The single sonic muscle twitch model for the sound-production mechanism in the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis," Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 108 (5) pp. 2430-2437.

J. J. Luczkovich, H. J. Daniel III, M. Hutchinson, T. Jenkins, S. E. Johnson, R. C. Pullinger, and M. W. Sprague (2000), "Sounds of sex and death in the sea: bottlenose dolphin whistles suppress mating choruses of silver perch," Bioacoustics 10 (4) pp. 323-334.

M. W. Sprague, J. J. Luczkovich, R. C. Pullinger, S. E. Johnson, T. Jenkins, and H. J. Daniel, III (2000), "Using spectral analysis to identify drumming sounds of some North Carolina fishes in the family Sciaenidae," Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 116 (2) pp. 124-145.

J. J. Luczkovich, M. W. Sprague, S. E. Johnson, and R. C. Pullinger (1999), "Delimiting spawning areas of weakfish Cynoscion regalis (family Sciaenidae) in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina using passive hydroacoustic surveys," Bioacoustics 10 (2) pp. 143-160.

Some Recent Presentations

M. W. Sprague, P. Deville, and J. J. Luczkovich (2022). Soundscapes from a saltwater marsh creek captured by a hydrophone array," Sixth International Conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, 2022 July 10–15, Berlin. https://myweb.ecu.edu/spraguem/papers/SpragueAN2022Poster.pdf

M. W. Sprague, P. DeVille, and J. J. Luczkovich (2019). "Particle motion and sound propagation near boundaries," Fifth International Conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, Den Haag, Netherlands, July 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10342/7393

M. W. Sprague, C. K. Krahforst, and J. J. Luczkovich (2016). "Noise propagation from vessel channels into nearby fish nesting sites in very shallow water." Fourth International Confernece on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, Dublin, Ireland, 15 July, 2016.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2014). "Using sound propagation modeling to estimate the number of calling fish in an aggregation from single-hydrophone sound recordings." 168th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Indianaplis, IN, 30 October 2014. Abstract published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 136 (4), p. 2276.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2013). "Development of a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Model for Propagation of Transient Sounds in Very Shallow Water." Third International Confernece on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, Budapest, Hungary.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2010). "Modeling the propagation of transient sounds in very shallow water using finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculations." Third International Confernece on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, Cork, Ireland.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2010). "Propagation of Fish Sounds in Very Shallow Water." 2010 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Providence, Rhode Island.

J. J. Luczkovich and M. W. Sprague (2007). "Does Boat Noise Affect Spawning Sound Production of Soniferous Fish in Shallow Water Estuarine Systems?" The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, Nyborg, Denmark, August 2007.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2003). "Processing Digitally Encoded Sound Files for Fishery Investigations," Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, 14 August 2003, Quebec City, QB, Canada.

M. W. Sprague, J. J. Luczkovich, R. E. Brainard, and K. B. Wong (2002). "Analysis of coral reef sound recordings in the Phoenix and Line Islands," First Pan-American/Iberian Meeting on Acoustics/144th Meeting of The Acoustical Society of America, 2 December 2002, Cancun, QR, Mexico. Abstract published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 112 (5) p. 2204.

M. W. Sprague and J. J. Luczkovich (2002). "Quantifying Species-Specific Contributions to the Overall Sound Level," An International Workshop on the Application of Passive Acoustics in Fisheries, 8-10 April 2002, Dedham, MA. <https://seagrant.mit.edu/pubs_desc.php?media_ID=49>

M. W. Sprague (2001). "Pulsed sound production by Sciaenid fishes," 142nd Meeting of The Acoustical Society of America, 4 December 2001, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Abstract published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 110 (5) p. 2639.

M. W. Sprague (2001). "The Single Sonic Muscle Twitch Model for Sciaenid Sound Production," The International Conference on Fish Bioacoustics: Sensory Biology, Behavior and Practical Applications, 30 May-2 June 2001, Evanston, IL.

Service

Faculty Advisor, ECU Society of Physics Students, 2014-2019
Chair of the Faculty, 2012-2014
Vice Chair of the Faculty, 2009-2012
UNC Faculty Assembly (ECU Delegate 2008-2014, Executive Committee 2010-2012)