Since 2006, my research group has completed annual ecological surveys at eight sites to assess instream habitat, riparian habitat, and fish assemblages. Chemists at NSERL and NDRU analyze water samples from our sites for residues of nutrients and pesticides. The twelve years of survey data are being used to determine the relative impacts of habitat and water chemistry on fish communities.

Graduate and undergraduate students have completed field and lab projects that range from community ecology of fishes, macroinvertebrates and freshwater mussels- to bioassays with fathead minnows and riffle beetles. We recently completed a two-year field research project to assess the impacts of sediment chemistry and total suspended solids on fishes and macroinvertebrates.

Since 2008, our research group has actively participated in watershed monitoring programs on behalf of the City of Fort Wayne, City of Defiance, Ohio, Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District, St.Joseph River Watershed Initiative, and the Tri-State Watershed Alliance. The monitoring efforts have led to nearly xxxxxx data points that are being managed by collaborators from the City of Fort Wayne and the Environmental Resources Center at PFW. These data have helped natural resource managers target solutions to local and regional water quality problems, such as combined sewer overflows in the three rivers and Microcystis blooms in the Western Basin of Lake Erie.

The Aquatic Ecology Lab is an active partner with the Environmental Resources Center, promoting the understanding and conservation of the natural resources of the region.