My research interests focus on the ecology and evolution of freshwater fishes and gastropods. I am particularly interested in understanding patterns of abundance (both spatial and temporal), morphology, and ecological niche. The primary mission of my lab is to promote the conservation of aquatic resources through increased understanding of the taxa contained therein.
Much of my research revolves around the long term analysis of Ohio River Basin fish and gastropod assemblages. These assemblage studies have detailed population and community changes at both the taxonomic and functional level over the past century - primarily as a result of habitat alterations. Other projects branching from this theme include life history studies of large river fish diets and growth determinants.
In addition to exploring spatial and temporal patterns in aquatic assemblages, my research also includes ecomorphological studies which describe body shape patterns in fish and gastropods. The mechanism of this variation appears to be a combination of ontogenic and environmental factors ranging from developmental constraints to phenotypic plasticity. Ongoing project interests in ecomorphology include the description of the major sources of intraspecific shape variation, the evolutionary diversification of North American freshwater fishes, and the role that morphology plays in community structure.
Some of the field and analytical methods utilized in my research include various sampling techniques (e.g. electrofishing, seine netting), geographic information systems, stable isotope analysis, multi-metric biological and habitat measurement procedures, geometric morphometrics, multivariate statistics, phylogenetic comparative methods, and ecological niche models.
Students interested in research involvement should contact directly regarding lab openings and potential projects.
