Research

Quantifying Urban Litter Contribution to Plastic Pollution and Assessing Best Mitigation Practices

Thousands of tons of plastic pollution end up in the Great Lakes every year having adverse effects on marine life and on water quality. Quantifying major sources and pathways of plastic pollution entering the Great Lakes can be highly valuable for developing suitable mitigation strategies. We propose a two yearlong study to quantify urban plastic […]

Evaluating the Effects of the Recently Discovered Non-Native, Parasitic Copepods Salmincola Edwardsii and S. Californiensis on Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout, Respectively in Pennsylvania Inland Streams and Lake Erie Tributaries

The primary focus of this project is to determine the distribution, prevalence, and genetic composition of non-native Salmincola spp. (commonly referred to as gill lice) and the potential impacts that Salmincola spp. are having on the Commonwealth’s wild trout populations. Of particular concern are the impacts of Salmincola spp. on Pennsylvania’s wild Brook Trout and […]

Research Topic: A Paradigm Shift: Re-Evaluating Phragmites and Phragmites Management in Terms of Coastal Resilience

Overview Coastal wetlands of the Delaware River Estuary and much of North America are converting at a rapid pace to near-monocultures of the invasive lineage of the common reed Phragmites australis (hereafter Phragmites). Unfortunately, we know surprisingly little about how Phragmites invasion affects coastal blue carbon, specifically carbon (C) sequestration or soil C processes (e.g. […]

Evaluating Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise in Pennsylvania

Tidal wetlands are important ecosystems that provide a number of ecosystem services such as nutrient transformation and removal, carbon sequestration, and habitat for fish and wildlife. Tinicum marsh in John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is Pennsylvania’s largest and last remaining tidal wetlands. Tinicum is one of nine wetland monitoring sites within the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Wetland […]

Quantifying the Roles of Changing Watershed Conditions and Biotic Interactions in Structuring Pennsylvania Stream Fish Communities

Understanding and predicting fish community interactions and their responses to changes in the environment are critical to the conservation and management of Pennsylvania fish communities and to water resource management. However, quantifying and predicting the effects of environmental stressors on fish communities is made difficult by the complex interactions that exist between species and between […]

Diet Composition of Invasive Flathead Catfish in the Susquehanna River Basin: Quantifying Impacts on Native and Migratory Fishes and Recreational Fisheries

Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris are an indiscriminate predator of other fish and an expanding invader to large river systems outside of its native range, including the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania. Research efforts are beginning to provide insight on the distribution of this invader in the Susquehanna River Basin, however, there is considerable uncertainty about […]