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
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!
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.
