Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Amanda Rosenberger, PhD

Assistant Unit Leader - Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Research Interests

Amanda's research interests are in the ecology and conservation of freshwater fishes with an emphasis on the role of ecological processes in shaping fish distributions, population characteristics, and community structure. Conservation problems are best addressed at multiple scales; therefore, she is interested in the spatial and temporal dynamics of these patterns at both local and landscape scales. She is particularly interested in investigating mechanistic relationships between fish and physical and biotic features of the environment and how human intervention, nonnative species, and climate change can alter those relationships.

Teaching Interests

  • Fish Ecology
  • Introduction to Fisheries
  • Experiential Learning
  • Landscape Ecology
  • Community Ecology

Professional Experience

  • Assistant Unit Leader, Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, 2017-

Education and Certifications

  • Ph D Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2003

  • MS University of Florida 1997

  • BA Bard College at Simon's Rock 1994

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 24

Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications

Multispecies risk assessments have developed within many international conservation programs, reflecting a widespread need for efficiency. Under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), multispecies assessments ultimately lead to species-level listing decisions. Although this approach provides opportunities for improved efficiency, it also risks overwhelming or biasing the assessment proces

Use of non-lethal endpoints to establish water quality requirements and optima of the endangered Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)

Water quality standards based on sub-lethal effects and performance optima for aquatic organisms, rather than onset of mortality, are more ecologically relevant for management of species of conservation concern. We investigated the effects of hypoxia, temperature (with acclimation), nitrogenous chemical compounds, and chloride on Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka) by monitoring behavioral responses
By
Cooperative Research Units

A Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change

Many at-risk species lack standardized surveys across their range or quantitative data capable of detecting demographic trends. As a result, extinction risk assessments often rely on ordinal categories of risk based on explicit criteria or expert elicitation. This study demonstrates a Bayesian approach to assessing extinction risk based on this common data structure, using three freshwater mussel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Habitat associations and distributions of two endemic crayfishes, Cambarus (Erebicambarus) maculatus Hobbs & Pflieger, 1988 and Faxonius (Billecambarus) harrisonii (Faxon, 1884) (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae), in the Meramec River drainage, Missouri,

Understanding the habitat associations and distributions of rare species is important to inform management and policy decisions. Cambarus (Erebicambarus) maculatus  Hobbs & Pflieger, 1988, the freckled crayfish, and Faxonius (Billecambarus) harrisonii (Faxon, 1884), the belted crayfish, are two of Missouri’s endemic crayfish species. Both species are listed as Vulnerable (S3) on Missouri’s Species
By
Cooperative Research Units

Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure and complexity across local- and meta-food webs in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes

The need for theories that address food web assembly and complexity over multiple spatial scales are critical to understanding their stability and persistence. In a meta-food web – an integrated network of local food webs – spatial heterogeneity in physical processes may have profound effects on food web function and energy flow. In the Arctic, surface water connectivity plays a vital role in dete
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Life history of the endemic saddleback crayfish, Faxonius medius (Faxon, 1884), (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in Missouri, USA

The saddleback crayfish, Faxonius medius (Faxon, 1884), is endemic to a single drainage in eastern Missouri, USA, that is affected by heavy metals mining, and adjacent to a rapidly-expanding urban area. We studied populations of F. medius in two small streams for 18 months to describe the annual reproductive cycle and gather information about fecundity, sex ratio, size at maturity, and size-class
By
Cooperative Research Units

Generalist feeding strategies in Arctic freshwater fish: A mechanism for dealing with extreme environments

Generalist feeding strategies are favoured in stressful or variable environments where flexibility in ecological traits is beneficial. Species that feed across multiple habitat types and trophic levels may impart stability on food webs through the use of readily available, alternative energy pools. In lakes, generalist fish species may take advantage of spatially and temporally variable prey by co
By
Alaska Science Center

Top-down control of invertebrates by Ninespine Stickleback in Arctic ponds

Despite their widespread presence in northern-latitude ecosystems, the ecological role of Ninespine Stickleback Pungitius pungitius is not well understood. Ninespine Stickleback can occupy both top and intermediate trophic levels in freshwater ecosystems, so their role in food webs as a predator on invertebrates and as a forage fish for upper level consumers probably is substantial. We introduced
By
Cooperative Research Units

A global review of freshwater crayfish temperature tolerance, preference, and optimal growth

Conservation efforts, environmental planning, and management must account for ongoing ecosystem alteration due to a changing climate, introduced species, and shifting land use. This type of management can be facilitated by an understanding of the thermal ecology of aquatic organisms. However, information on thermal ecology for entire taxonomic groups is rarely compiled or summarized, and reviews o
By
Cooperative Research Units

Measuring fish and their physical habitats: Versatile 2D and 3D video techniques with user-friendly software

Applications of video in fisheries research range from simple biodiversity surveys to three-dimensional (3D) measurement of complex swimming, schooling, feeding, and territorial behaviors. However, researchers lack a transparently developed, easy-to-use, general purpose tool for 3D video measurement and event logging. Thus, we developed a new measurement system, with freely available, user-friendl
By
Cooperative Research Units

Surface water connectivity drives richness and composition of Arctic lake fish assemblages

Surface water connectivity can influence the richness and composition of fish assemblages, particularly in harsh environments where colonisation factors and access to seasonal refugia are required for species persistence. Studies regarding influence of connectivity on Arctic fish distributions are limited and are rarely applied to whole assemblage patterns. To increase our understanding of how su
By
Cooperative Research Units

Life history of the vulnerable endemic crayfish Cambarus (Erebicambarus) maculatus Hobbs and Pflieger, 1988 (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae) in Missouri, USA

The vulnerable freckled crayfish, Cambarus maculatus Hobbs and Pflieger, 1988, is endemic to only one drainage in eastern Missouri, USA, which is impacted by heavy metals mining and adjacent to a rapidly-expanding urban area. We studied populations of C. maculatus in two small streams for 25 months to describe annual reproductive cycles, and gather information about fecundity, sex ratio, size at m
By
Cooperative Research Units
link
Releasing ninespine stickleback into a fishless pond

Arctic Lake Food Webs

From 2011 to 2013 we investigated freshwater food webs of Arctic Coastal Plain lakes in Alaska to improve our understanding how Arctic freshwater food webs may respond to landscape change the warmer, drier future.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Lake Food Webs

From 2011 to 2013 we investigated freshwater food webs of Arctic Coastal Plain lakes in Alaska to improve our understanding how Arctic freshwater food webs may respond to landscape change the warmer, drier future.
Learn More

Fatty acid signature data of potential yellow-billed loon prey in the Arctic coastal plain of Alaska, 2009-2011

This dataset contains fatty acid data expressed as mass percent of total fatty acids for several species potentially preyed upon by yellow-billed loons. These data were utilized in a quantitative fatty acid signature analysis to estimate the diet of yellow-billed loons nesting on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska (Haynes et al. 2015).
By
Alaska Science Center

Science and Products