Publications

ObjectiveKnowledge of invasive Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix population demographics and distributions may inform estimates of efforts necessary to achieve reductions in abundance and identify locations to conduct removal. Although extensively studied in other parts of their invasive range (e.g., Mississippi and Illinois rivers), less is known regarding Silver Carp population...

Pterodroma hasitata, the Black-capped Petrel (locally known as Diablotin), is the only extant Pterodroma petrel nesting in the Caribbean. The species is listed as globally Endangered by the IUCN and was recently listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Pterodroma hasitata show a phenotypic gradient, ranging from a darker, smaller form to a paler, heavier form, that is...

Environmental and associated ecosystem change may affect the persistence of fish species based on their ability to adapt to changing conditions, including decreasing flows and rising water temperatures. Exceeding the thermal tolerances of stream fish will likely result in a loss of ability to maintain metabolic processes. We evaluated the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of bigmouth...

Stable isotopes are commonly used to characterize food web structure and resource use by aquatic organisms. White muscle is generally preferred for stable isotope analysis of fishes. However, obtaining white muscle tissue typically requires lethal take or invasive sampling techniques, which are undesirable for small-bodied species or those of conservation concern. We assessed the use of...

ContextInterspecific interactions shape ecological communities, influence community dynamics, and drive co-evolution. Despite their ecological significance, predation and competition remain understudied in plains spotted skunks (Spilogale interrupta), a species of conservation concern. Clarifying how predator management influences their occurrence is crucial for effective conservation...

Daytime water quality was determined monthly over two years in an instream series of four urban reservoirs with recurring blooms of Prymnesium parvum—a cool-season toxigenic species. Temperature, pH, and laboratory-measured total alkalinity were used to estimate pCO2. System-wide, pCO2 was negatively associated with dissolved oxygen. Chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin (cyanobacterial pigment)...

Secretive marsh birds experienced precipitous declines due to losses in wetland habitat across North America. However, from 1998 to 2004, wetland area increased, and between 2009 and 2019, the extent of emergent wetlands did not significantly decrease. This raises the question: how did secretive marsh birds, which are tied to emergent wetlands, respond to this period of relative...

ABSTRACTObjectiveAlthough most facets of Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans ecology have been researched, the upper tiers of weight distributions (i.e., ≥3.6 kg; herein, “lunkers”) have received little attention due to the challenges of collecting sufficient sample sizes. Our aim was to estimate Largemouth Bass recruitment to higher weights after reaching 3.6 kg and to identify...

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems are emerging as a promising strategy for large-scale clean energy production worldwide. However, by altering key physical drivers such as solar radiation and wind mixing, FPV installations may have also unintended consequences for lakes and reservoirs. Given the wide diversity of freshwater systems globally, understanding the consistency in direction...

ObjectiveFlorida’s Freshwater Fisheries Long-Term Monitoring Program was implemented in 2006 to track changes in freshwater fish populations and communities. As part of an evaluation of the program, this study used a simulation framework to assess trend detection for fish abundance and biomass indices and how sampling intensity (number of samples per year) and frequency (number of years)...

Multiple hypotheses have arisen that predict how mammals with the ability to adapt fetal sex ratios should invest in male versus female offspring to maximize inclusive fitness, but large wild-population datasets necessary for testing these hypotheses are challenging to collect. We used whaling data (n = 209 254 sexed fetuses from seven rorqual whale species) to test whether mothers with...

Biological invasions threaten global biodiversity, with aquatic systems being particularly susceptible. Invasive crayfish drive native crayfish imperilment in North America and worldwide. Despite the probable increase in extreme hydrological events, the synergistic effects from invasive species and drought on crayfish are understudied. The invasion of Faxonius neglectus chaenodactylus in...