My current research focuses on conservation and behavioral ecology of North American stream fishes. Most of my investigations use minnows and darters, the two largest groups of North American fishes, as models. Although clearly vital components of auatic ecosystems, these fishes are the most poorly known of our fauna. My work with conservation includes studies that test current hypotheses, e.g., metapopulation models, and those that provide new information needed to meet management goals, such as re-introduction or habitat restoration. This work is supported by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, various state agencies, the National Wildlife Foundation and the USDA Forest Service.

The second focus area of my research is behavioral ecology of fishes. I am especially interested in the evolution of spawning behavior, information that is also needed for conservation efforts. Through my affiliation with the National Center for Physical Acoustics, I have been able to work with sound production during the breeding season in fishes. Virtually no studies of this nature exist for North American freshwater fishes, and I have discovered sound production in darters, madtom catfishes and several genera of minnows. This previously unknown aspect of the sensory world of these animals opens a new avenue of investigation into their ecology. I am also using characters derived from sonograms to test phylogenetic hypotheses for some groups. The use of sound for communication and as a potential pre-mating isolating mechanism may help explain the formation of hybrid swarms of stream fishes in degraded habitats.

Current activities:

Patterns of movement in stream fishes: using both species (blue shiners) and communities (Ouachita Highlands) as models I am gathering empirical data needed to test current models of metapopulation dynamics and to aid in understanding recolonization.

Use of artificial spawning substrates by an imperiled minnow: testing whether blue shiners will use artificially introduced crevices for spawning.

Transferability of habitat models for imperiled species across sites: developing models for blue shiners in sites ranging from pristine to degraded.

Sound production by stream fishes: many more fishes use this communication mechanism than previously thought; what is the role of sound production in the ecology of these animals?

Reproductive ecology of pygmy sculpin: this miniature fish is known only from Coldwater Spring, the water supply for Anniston, Alabama. A better understanding of its reproductive requirements is needed for potential introduction efforts.

Spawning behavior of imperiled species: this information vital to protection efforts is often lacking for minnows and darters