Welcome to The Riverscape Ecology Lab
Work in our lab focuses on the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater fish diversity, understanding reasons for its decline, and developing approaches for mitigating threats in Texas, the southern Great Plains, and beyond. We address questions regarding species- and community-level change across spatial and temporal scales using a variety of study approaches, including meta-analyses, field experiments, natural snapshot and trajectory experiments, landscape modeling, and molecular techniques. Our work strongly emphasizes how anthropogenic environmental manipulations, either destructive or restorative in nature, cause shifts in fish abundance, distribution, and community structure.
What's New
June 2022
The lab began the field season by surveying fishes in the Brazos, Colorado, and Rio Grande basins.
The lab began the field season by surveying fishes in the Brazos, Colorado, and Rio Grande basins.
Lindsey Elkins (MS student) and Tonya Ramey (Postdoc at Texas State University) test the waters of the Rio Grande.
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Zach Steffensmeier (PhD student) embraces much-needed rain in the upper Brazos River.
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Hayden Roberts (PhD student) with a Carpiodes sp. cf. carpio from the Llano River.
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Noah Santee (MS student) at a mountain pass overlooking the Rio Grande.
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May 2022
Hannah Evans and Meghan Booknis joined the lab as Undergraduate Research Technicians. Welcome to Hannah and Meghan!
The lab attended the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society meeting in Hunt, TX and present oral and poster presentations. Lindsey Elkins was awarded Outstanding Student Fisheries Worker of the Year and Hayden Roberts, Noah Santee, and Johnathan Ellard were awarded scholarships.
Hannah Evans and Meghan Booknis joined the lab as Undergraduate Research Technicians. Welcome to Hannah and Meghan!
The lab attended the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society meeting in Hunt, TX and present oral and poster presentations. Lindsey Elkins was awarded Outstanding Student Fisheries Worker of the Year and Hayden Roberts, Noah Santee, and Johnathan Ellard were awarded scholarships.
Lindsey Elkins (MS student) received the award for Outstanding Fisheries Student Worker of the Year from the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society.
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Hayden Roberts (PhD student) received a scholarship award from the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society.
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Noah Santee (MS student) received a scholarship award from the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society.
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Johnathan Ellard (BS student) received a scholarship award from the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society.
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April 2022
New lab paper accepted to the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.
Erin Nguyen successfully defended her dissertation. Congratulations to Erin!
Hayden Roberts, Johnathan Ellard, and Jake Wolff presented at the Ecological Integration Symposium.
New lab paper accepted to the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.
Erin Nguyen successfully defended her dissertation. Congratulations to Erin!
Hayden Roberts, Johnathan Ellard, and Jake Wolff presented at the Ecological Integration Symposium.
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March 2022
Hayden Roberts successfully defended his thesis. Congratulations to Hayden!
Hayden Roberts successfully defended his thesis. Congratulations to Hayden!
February 2022
New lab paper published in Movement Ecology - Congratulations to lead author Zach Steffensmeier!
New lab paper published in Movement Ecology - Congratulations to lead author Zach Steffensmeier!
January 2022
Noah Santee joined the lab as Master of Science graduate student. Welcome to Noah!
Noah Santee joined the lab as Master of Science graduate student. Welcome to Noah!
December 2021
Undergraduate Research Scholars Lauren Yancy, Hailey Binkley, Brynn Johnson, and Noah Santee all graduated. Congratulations!
Undergraduate Research Scholars Lauren Yancy, Hailey Binkley, Brynn Johnson, and Noah Santee all graduated. Congratulations!
September-November 2021
Rebecca Mangold joined the lab as a fulltime Research Associate. Welcome to Rebecca!
Hayden Roberts, Lindsey Elkins, Lauren Yancy, Hailey Binkley, Johnathan Ellard and Jake Wolff all traveled to Baltimore, MD to present their research at the 151st meeting of the American Fisheries Society.
Rebecca Mangold joined the lab as a fulltime Research Associate. Welcome to Rebecca!
Hayden Roberts, Lindsey Elkins, Lauren Yancy, Hailey Binkley, Johnathan Ellard and Jake Wolff all traveled to Baltimore, MD to present their research at the 151st meeting of the American Fisheries Society.
June-August 2021
In the busiest summer in REL history the gang visited >200 sampling sites and conducted >2000 seine hauls. We seined minnows in the Great Plains (led by Erin Nguyen), tracked movement of multiple imperiled minnows (led by Zach Steffensmeier), completed tracking of Alligator Gar in the Brazos River (led by Hayden Roberts), sampled 102 locations in the Colorado River basin (led by Lindsey Elkins), and resurveyed historical sites sampled by Bill Matthews and Edie Marsh-Matthews from the 1970s and 1990s (led by Steph Parker). The slideshow below is a sampling of some of our sampling.
In the busiest summer in REL history the gang visited >200 sampling sites and conducted >2000 seine hauls. We seined minnows in the Great Plains (led by Erin Nguyen), tracked movement of multiple imperiled minnows (led by Zach Steffensmeier), completed tracking of Alligator Gar in the Brazos River (led by Hayden Roberts), sampled 102 locations in the Colorado River basin (led by Lindsey Elkins), and resurveyed historical sites sampled by Bill Matthews and Edie Marsh-Matthews from the 1970s and 1990s (led by Steph Parker). The slideshow below is a sampling of some of our sampling.
April-May 2021
Allison Hay graduate with her BS degree and accepted a job with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. Congratulation to Allision and best of luck in Colorful Colorado!
Lauren Yancy is taking a summer sabbatical from the REL to work as a technician in the Freshwater Fish Ecology Lab at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Congratulations Lauren and enjoy the Land of The Midnight Sun!
Rebecca Mangold, Lucas Stevens, and Jake Wolff joined the lab as undergraduate research scholars. Welcome to Rebecca, Lucas, and Jake!
Forthcoming papers from the lab were accepted to Ecology of Freshwater Fish, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, and Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.
March 2021
Hailey Binkley and Brynn Johnson joined the lab as undergraduate research scholars. Welcome to Hailey and Brynn!
Erin Nguyen had a paper accepted to Ecosphere. Congratulations to Erin!
Hailey Binkley and Brynn Johnson joined the lab as undergraduate research scholars. Welcome to Hailey and Brynn!
Erin Nguyen had a paper accepted to Ecosphere. Congratulations to Erin!
November 2020 - February 2021
After what seemed like a slow winter, the lab presented a record 17 presentations at the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society meeting in February 2021, including 10 poster presentations and 7 oral presentations. More information on the meeting is available HERE
Presenters included:
(1) Undergraduate Student Lauren Yancy's oral presentation: Longitudinal fragmentation of stream fish metacommunities.
(2) Doctoral Candidate Erin Nguyen's oral presentation: Characteristics from the natural flow regime paradigm predict occurrence of imperiled Great Plains fishes
(3) Former Post-Doc Matt Acre's presentation: Multiple survey methods reveal greater abundance of endangered pupfish in restored habitats
(4) Former Master of Science student Stephanie Parker's presentation: Temporal distribution modeling reveals upstream habitat drying and downstream nonnative introgression are squeezing out an imperiled headwater fish
(5) Undergraduate student Allison Hay's oral presentation: Movement and survival of invasive suckermouth armored catfish within the San Marcos River
(6) Collaborator Erin Shepta's oral presentation: Insights on the establishment of the invasive Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) in the Brazos River
(7) Master of Science student Hayden Roberts' oral presentation: Patterns and predictors of Alligator Gar movement across mainstem-tributary ecotones
(8) Undergraduate student Cole Tschirhart's poster presentation: Standard weight analysis of Largemouth Bass in Texas A&M University’s Aquaculture Research and Teaching Facility Reservoir
(9) Lab PI Josh Perkin's poster presentation: A gap in the armor: Spearfishing reduces biomass of invasive suckermouth armored catfish
(10) Collaborator Carmen Montania's poster presentation: Predicting the invasions of Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) and the Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) in Texas waters using ecological niche models
(11) Master of Science student Lindsey Elkins' poster presentation: Going the distance: Multiscale assessment of Conchos Pupfish (Cyprinodon eximius) abundance and distribution in West Texas
(12) Undergraduate student Johnathan Ellard's poster presentation: Assessing Alligator Gar diel activity in the Lower Brazos River Basin
(13) Former International Visiting Scholar Florian Kappen's poster: Megafish movement: Testing stream fish movement paradigms using Alligator Gar
(14) Master of Science student Sara Stearns' poster presentation: Stream fish standard sampling protocols
(15) Undergraduate student Wyatt Stinebaugh's poster presentation: Spatially constrained rarefaction to estimate fish species richness in reservoir environments
(16) Doctoral candidate Erin Nguyen's poster presentation: Modeling metacommunities in intermittent streams
(17) Undergraduate student Noah Santee's poster presentation: Testing restricted movement of Plains Killifish (Fundulus zebrinus)
After what seemed like a slow winter, the lab presented a record 17 presentations at the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society meeting in February 2021, including 10 poster presentations and 7 oral presentations. More information on the meeting is available HERE
Presenters included:
(1) Undergraduate Student Lauren Yancy's oral presentation: Longitudinal fragmentation of stream fish metacommunities.
(2) Doctoral Candidate Erin Nguyen's oral presentation: Characteristics from the natural flow regime paradigm predict occurrence of imperiled Great Plains fishes
(3) Former Post-Doc Matt Acre's presentation: Multiple survey methods reveal greater abundance of endangered pupfish in restored habitats
(4) Former Master of Science student Stephanie Parker's presentation: Temporal distribution modeling reveals upstream habitat drying and downstream nonnative introgression are squeezing out an imperiled headwater fish
(5) Undergraduate student Allison Hay's oral presentation: Movement and survival of invasive suckermouth armored catfish within the San Marcos River
(6) Collaborator Erin Shepta's oral presentation: Insights on the establishment of the invasive Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) in the Brazos River
(7) Master of Science student Hayden Roberts' oral presentation: Patterns and predictors of Alligator Gar movement across mainstem-tributary ecotones
(8) Undergraduate student Cole Tschirhart's poster presentation: Standard weight analysis of Largemouth Bass in Texas A&M University’s Aquaculture Research and Teaching Facility Reservoir
(9) Lab PI Josh Perkin's poster presentation: A gap in the armor: Spearfishing reduces biomass of invasive suckermouth armored catfish
(10) Collaborator Carmen Montania's poster presentation: Predicting the invasions of Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) and the Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) in Texas waters using ecological niche models
(11) Master of Science student Lindsey Elkins' poster presentation: Going the distance: Multiscale assessment of Conchos Pupfish (Cyprinodon eximius) abundance and distribution in West Texas
(12) Undergraduate student Johnathan Ellard's poster presentation: Assessing Alligator Gar diel activity in the Lower Brazos River Basin
(13) Former International Visiting Scholar Florian Kappen's poster: Megafish movement: Testing stream fish movement paradigms using Alligator Gar
(14) Master of Science student Sara Stearns' poster presentation: Stream fish standard sampling protocols
(15) Undergraduate student Wyatt Stinebaugh's poster presentation: Spatially constrained rarefaction to estimate fish species richness in reservoir environments
(16) Doctoral candidate Erin Nguyen's poster presentation: Modeling metacommunities in intermittent streams
(17) Undergraduate student Noah Santee's poster presentation: Testing restricted movement of Plains Killifish (Fundulus zebrinus)
October 2020
Our work with Alligator Gar was featured on two episodes of Brave Wilderness, checkout the videos below:
Episode I
Episode II
Our work with Alligator Gar was featured on two episodes of Brave Wilderness, checkout the videos below:
Episode I
Episode II
September 2020
The Riverscape Ecology Lab co-organized a special symposium at the American Fisheries Society virtual conference entitled: "Ecology and Conservation of the Chubs: Integrating Past Declines, Present Research, and Future Challenges for Fishes in the Genus Macrhybopsis"
The Riverscape Ecology Lab co-organized a special symposium at the American Fisheries Society virtual conference entitled: "Ecology and Conservation of the Chubs: Integrating Past Declines, Present Research, and Future Challenges for Fishes in the Genus Macrhybopsis"
August 2020
Cade Cottar and Johnathan Ellard joined the Riverscape Ecology Lab as undergraduate research scholars. Welcome Cade and Johnathan!
Cade Cottar and Johnathan Ellard joined the Riverscape Ecology Lab as undergraduate research scholars. Welcome Cade and Johnathan!
June-July 2020
Research on control of invasive suckermouth armored catfish lead by former lab member Caleb Blanton was published in Fisheries.
The Edwards Aquafer Authority sat down with Allison Hay and Josh Perkin to talk about researching the ecology of suckermouth armored catfish to improve control efforts. Interview and podcast here: https://www.eahcpsteward.org/
Visiting International Research Scholar Maximiliaan Claus was featured on the cover of the North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
Hayden Roberts, Florian Kappen, and Maximiliaan Claus stepped in front of the cameras to talk about Alligator Gar.
Zach Steffensmeier, Lauren Yancy, and Noah Santee recaptured a reMARKable minnow that swam from the Red River mainstem up into the Salt Fork Red River.
New lab paper on identifying and optimizing the removal of barriers to aquatic organism passage was published in Landscape and Urban Planning.
The Riverscape Ecology Lab moved to a new and improved space.
Research on control of invasive suckermouth armored catfish lead by former lab member Caleb Blanton was published in Fisheries.
The Edwards Aquafer Authority sat down with Allison Hay and Josh Perkin to talk about researching the ecology of suckermouth armored catfish to improve control efforts. Interview and podcast here: https://www.eahcpsteward.org/
Visiting International Research Scholar Maximiliaan Claus was featured on the cover of the North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
Hayden Roberts, Florian Kappen, and Maximiliaan Claus stepped in front of the cameras to talk about Alligator Gar.
Zach Steffensmeier, Lauren Yancy, and Noah Santee recaptured a reMARKable minnow that swam from the Red River mainstem up into the Salt Fork Red River.
New lab paper on identifying and optimizing the removal of barriers to aquatic organism passage was published in Landscape and Urban Planning.
The Riverscape Ecology Lab moved to a new and improved space.
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February-May 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in-person classes and field work, but not before Maximiliaan Claus and Florian Kappen joined us from the Netherlands. They will be riding out the pandemic and working with Alligator Gar with us until fall 2020. Welcome to Max and Florian!
Fernando Chavez and Jake Madewell both graduated. Congratulations to Fernando and Jake!
Matt Acre took a job with the U.S. Geological Survey in Missouri. Congratulations to Matt!
Allison Hay, Emily Parker, and Noah Santee joined the lab as undergraduate researchers. Welcome to Allison, Emily, and Noah!
The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in-person classes and field work, but not before Maximiliaan Claus and Florian Kappen joined us from the Netherlands. They will be riding out the pandemic and working with Alligator Gar with us until fall 2020. Welcome to Max and Florian!
Fernando Chavez and Jake Madewell both graduated. Congratulations to Fernando and Jake!
Matt Acre took a job with the U.S. Geological Survey in Missouri. Congratulations to Matt!
Allison Hay, Emily Parker, and Noah Santee joined the lab as undergraduate researchers. Welcome to Allison, Emily, and Noah!
January 2020
The Riverscape Ecology Lab is now in the new Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology.
Hayden Roberts has joined the lab as a Master of Science graduate student. Welcome to Hayden!
The Riverscape Ecology Lab is now in the new Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology.
Hayden Roberts has joined the lab as a Master of Science graduate student. Welcome to Hayden!
November-December 2019
Some of the gang conducted surveys for Conchos Pupfish in the Devils River Basin.
Some of the gang conducted surveys for Conchos Pupfish in the Devils River Basin.
A Conchos Pupfish illuminated by headlamp light sits just beneath the surface in shallow water.
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Matt Acre isn't slowed down by a broken foot as he measures Conchos Pupfish habitat.
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Zach Steffensmeier points out a Conchos Pupfish he spotted in shallow water.
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September-October 2019
Stephanie George Parker defended her thesis! The gang participated in fall sampling of streams, springs, sloughs and ponds.
Stephanie George Parker defended her thesis! The gang participated in fall sampling of streams, springs, sloughs and ponds.
Steph successfully defended her thesis!
Fernando Chavez and Jake Madewell lead a seining expedition with Lauren Yancy and Emily Parker at White Creek on the Texas A&M University campus.
Lauren Yancy holds a bowfin captured during the AFS sampling trip to Lake Conroe.
Josh Perkin holds a Blacktail Redhorse he helped students from Rice University capture in the Big Thicket National Preserve.
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The Texas A&M University Student Subunit of the American Fisheries Society prepare to sample fishes at Lake Conroe.
Matt Acre marks Comanche Springs Pupfish in Balmorhea State Park.
Zach Steffensmeier prepares for a day on the water at the Texas A&M University Aquacultural Research and Teaching Facility.
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Erin Nguyen visits a field site during low flows.
Lauren Yancy at the the entrance to her study site where she conducted a density experiment with Comanche Springs Pupfish.
Side scan sonar image of a deployed hoop net that students from Principles of Fisheries Management captured during a fieldtrip.
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June-August 2019
The summer field season was productive! Members of the lab worked on projects spread across the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, Red and Rio Grande basins in the USA and the Tocantins River in Brazil.
The summer field season was productive! Members of the lab worked on projects spread across the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, Red and Rio Grande basins in the USA and the Tocantins River in Brazil.
Post-Doc Matt Acre takes notes after he deploys drift nets on the Colorado River.
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Post-Doc Matt Acre and Doctoral Student Zach Steffensmeier seine in a tributary to the Rio Grande.
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Research Technicians Lauren Yancy and Austin Stafford seining the Red River.
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Erin Nguyen, Josh Perkin, volunteer Caroline (TTU student), Austin Stafford, and Zach Steffensmeier tag fish on the Red River.
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Josh Perkin and Matt Acre use a small jonboat to access sites on the Brazos, Colorado and Guadalupe rivers to sample for age-0 Macrhybopsis spp.
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Perkin poses with an Arapaima, also known as Pirarucu, in a fish market in Belém, Brazil.
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May 2019
Lauren Yancy and Austin Stafford joined the lab as undergraduate research technicians. Welcome to Lauren and Austin!
Zach Steffensmeier began his mark-recapture movement study on Prairie Chub and already has some recaptures on the books!
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April 2019
New paper illustrating the effects of urbanization on stream fish diversity was published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems!
New paper illustrating the effects of urbanization on stream fish diversity was published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems!
March 2019
Matt Acre lead a new collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department surveying Comanche Springs Pupfish!
Matt Acre lead a new collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department surveying Comanche Springs Pupfish!
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February 2019
Matt Acre has joined the lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Welcome, Matt!
Steph George was named the Outstanding MS Fisheries Student Worker of the Year by the Texas Chapter AFS. Congratulations, Steph!
Erin Nguyen won first place in the Best Student Poster Session at the Southern Division AFS meeting. Congratulations, Erin!
January 2019
New connectivity paper from a collaboration led by Dr. Ryan McManamay at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was accepted to Ecosphere
The Gang had eight abstracts accepted for presentations at the Southern Division American Fisheries Society; we're heading to Galveston!
New connectivity paper from a collaboration led by Dr. Ryan McManamay at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was accepted to Ecosphere
The Gang had eight abstracts accepted for presentations at the Southern Division American Fisheries Society; we're heading to Galveston!
December 2018
Juju Wellemeyer's paper on hierarchy theory applied to Arkansas Darter ecology was accepted to Freshwater Biology. Congratulations to Juju!
Collaborations with Dr. Kevin Conway resulted in the first record of Conchos Shiner in the USA; new paper published in the journal Check List
Juju Wellemeyer's paper on hierarchy theory applied to Arkansas Darter ecology was accepted to Freshwater Biology. Congratulations to Juju!
Collaborations with Dr. Kevin Conway resulted in the first record of Conchos Shiner in the USA; new paper published in the journal Check List
November 2018
The Gang began collaborations with TPWD Heart of the Hills (HOH) Fishery Science Center biologists to study Alligator Gar movement.
See the excellent write-up about TPWD HOH research on the species HERE
The Gang began collaborations with TPWD Heart of the Hills (HOH) Fishery Science Center biologists to study Alligator Gar movement.
See the excellent write-up about TPWD HOH research on the species HERE
October 2018
Will Curtis' undergraduate paper published in Freshwater Science was highlighted in the Society for Freshwater Science's newsletter In the Drift.
Well done, Will! See the highlight HERE
Will Curtis' undergraduate paper published in Freshwater Science was highlighted in the Society for Freshwater Science's newsletter In the Drift.
Well done, Will! See the highlight HERE
September 2018
Erin Nguyen and Zach Steffensmeier arrived as two new doctoral students in the lab. Welcome to Erin and Zach!
Erin Nguyen and Zach Steffensmeier arrived as two new doctoral students in the lab. Welcome to Erin and Zach!
August 2018
The Aggies were a part of the "trouble busing in from out of state" at the American Fisheries Society conference in Atlantic City, NJ.
Steph George, Fernando Chavez and Jake Madewell, Nick Loveland and Josh Hietikko, and Chase Corrington all presented posters at the meeting.
The Aggies were a part of the "trouble busing in from out of state" at the American Fisheries Society conference in Atlantic City, NJ.
Steph George, Fernando Chavez and Jake Madewell, Nick Loveland and Josh Hietikko, and Chase Corrington all presented posters at the meeting.
July 2018
Another trip east bound and down to Florida, and many more gators hanging out in culverts.
Coincidentally, Josh Perkin coauthored a new paper on alligator nest attendance published in Copeia!
June 2018
Steph George became more comfortable in her desertified supervisory role, including overseeing gillnet repairs in the motel courtyard.
May 2018
Will Curtis and Amy Gebhard had a paper accepted to Freshwater Science; the Year of the Sculpin is now complete!
Stream habitat connectivity surveys in Florida were briefly interrupted by wildlife.
April 2018
Steph George made her first research trip to far flung West Texas and immersed herself in her graduate work (photo by Amanda Pinion).
March 2018
Eric Malone's thesis paper was accepted to Global Change Biology. Congratulations to Eric!
February 2018
Juju Wellemeyer's thesis paper was accepted and published in Ecological Indicators. Congratulations to Juju!
January 2018
Matthew Madewell and Fernando Chavez presented a poster at the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society meeting
Josh Perkin presented an oral presentation at the Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society Meeting
December 2017
Stephanie George has joined the lab as a graduate student. Welcome to Stephanie!
Nick Loveland, Jake Madewell, Fernando Chavez, and Josh Heitikko have joined the lab as undergraduate technicians. Welcome to the gang!
November 2017
Juju Wellemeyer and Eric Malone successfully defended their theses in Tennessee. Congratulations to Juju and Eric!
October 2017
New paper on Great Plains cyprinids out in Fish and Fisheries (see Publications page).
September 2017
Juju Wellemeyer accepted a job with the Missouri Department of Conservation as a Resource Staff Scientist. Congratulations to Juju!
September 2017
The Riverscape Ecology Laboratory at Texas A&M University is spawned.
Fishes Below the Surface
Steph George snapped this picture of a Longnose Dace during a recent venture to west Texas.
Amy Gebhard snapped this picture of a Banded Sculpin during her research on the species.
Juju Wellemeyer snapped this picture of a lamprey during sampling.
Eric Malone snapped this picture of a Banded Sculpin chowing-down on a Redline Darter.
