FALL 2019
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
SPRING 2019
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
FALL 2018
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
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SUMMER 2018
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
- Ph.D. Research: Testing the influence of Phenotypic Plasticity on the Rate of Evolutionary Change, mesocosm experiments. Set up and run tanks of Daphnia populations which display divergence in the magnitude of plasticity when exposed to predation. Will populations which show adaptive plastic responses evolve the same as those with maladapted responses? We will see!!
- Field Work: June 2018 - Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: I'm excited to be setting up a new research system in the Cook Inlet area (Kenai Peninsula, Alaska) working in collaboration with researchers from Université du Québec à Montréal, McGill University, and Stony Brook University, as well as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. After removal of invasive pike (piscivorous), two morphologically distinct forms of native stickleback (planktivorous) will be reintroduced. Benthic and limnetic morphs of sticklebacks have been shown to have divergent (behavioral and morphological) feeding traits, which presents an opportunity to detect divergent selection patterns on zooplankton between populations. I will be exploring the ecological and evolutionary effects of this predation regime change in-situ. Specifically, I'll be measuring changes in the magnitude of plasticity in each Daphnia population over time, and testing the influence of standing phenotypic plasticity on the rate and magnitude of evolutionary change in populations of Daphnia throughout the trophic change via laboratory experiments.
- On this trip I collected populations of wild Daphnia from lakes with both forms of stickleback, from lakes without stickleback, and from the lakes where we plan to reintroduce planned populations of stickleback. I plan to rear these clones in the lab for use in a comparative study. I will expose multiple clones from each population to predation cues to investigate if there are evolutionary differences based on the presence and absence of stickleback, while looking for divergence in life history traits and plasticity based on the form of stickleback (benthic/limnetic) present.
- I worked closely with Andrew Hendry to trap and sample multiple stickleback populations from the Kenai Peninsula and the Mat-Su Valley for morphometric analysis which will help identify source populations for our reintroductions. Minnow trapping is fun and exhausting!
SPRING 2018
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Walsh Lab & Kubinack Lab Collaboration - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
AUGUST 2015 - 2016
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
Pre-Graduate Work
JULY 2015
Turtle Island Restoration Network and PRETOMA (Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas ~ Sea Turtle Restoration Project)- Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica
MARCH 2014 - 2017
iSeahorse.org - Project Seahorse, Zoological Society of London, Shedd Aquarium, and University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre
JUNE 2014 - JULY 2015
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
JAN 2014 - JUNE 2014
Gough Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
AUG 2011 - MAY 2013
Bob Jones Nature Center - Southlake, Texas
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
- Ph.D. Research: Spring 2018 - Testing the influence of Phenotypic Plasticity on the Rate of Evolutionary Change, pre-trials, common-garden and mesocosm experimental design
- Visiting Lab Work: April 2018 - LacCore Lab: National Lacustrine Core Facility, Minneapolis, MN: Sediment Core Pb-210 dating for Daphnia ephippia resurrection (pre-Bythotrephes invasion population). A study of the evolutionary effects on life-history traits in Daphnia in response to an invasive predator.
- Field Work: February 2018 - Northern Temperate Lakes (NTL) LTER, Madison WI: Sediment Core drilling for Daphnia ephippia retrieval and resurrection (pre-Bythotrephes invasion population). A study of the evolutionary effects on life-history traits in Daphnia in response to an invasive predator. First time ever on an iced over lake! Learned how to sediment core drill!
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Walsh Lab & Kubinack Lab Collaboration - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
- Ph.D. Research: Explorations into the effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiome of Daphnia pulicaria. Treatments, dissections and qPCR
AUGUST 2015 - 2016
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
- Field Work: Summer 2016 - Arctic (ARC) LTER, Toolik Field Station. Daphnia middendorffiana specimen retrieval for comparative lab research.
- Ph.D. Research: 2015 - Evolutionary-Ecological Dynamics in Aquatic Ecosystems across environmental gradients.
- Ph.D. Research: 2015 - Analysis of long-term data sets across ecosystems: Arctic (ARC) LTER and Northern Temperate Lakes (NTL) LTER. Investigating evolutionary consequence based on known changes to the environment due to stressors such as rising temperatures, eutrophication, and species introductions.
Pre-Graduate Work
JULY 2015
Turtle Island Restoration Network and PRETOMA (Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas ~ Sea Turtle Restoration Project)- Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica
- Species assessment - habitat preference and long distance seasonal migratory patterns
- Satellite, acoustic, and monel tagging
- Recover, download data and re-deploy six underwater, acoustic receivers
- Compare TIRN and PRETOMA dive survey methods
MARCH 2014 - 2017
iSeahorse.org - Project Seahorse, Zoological Society of London, Shedd Aquarium, and University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre
- Citizen Scientist - recording observations and participation in seahorse site surveys
- Udemy.com online training - iSeahorse Trends: Finding & monitoring seahorse populations
JUNE 2014 - JULY 2015
Walsh Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
- Undergraduate Research: 2014 - Effects of density on population level expression of divergent, individual life history traits in Daphnia.
- Inter and Intra competition effects on within/trans generational plasticity - Daphnia ambigua and Daphia pulex
- Adaptive generational plasticity in response to predator cues in Daphnia ambigua
- Effects of temperature on within-generation plasticity and transgenerational plasticity in Daphnia ambigua
- Predator migratory effects on the Daphnia evolution (anadromous vs. absent vs. permanent populations) in Daphnia ambigua
JAN 2014 - JUNE 2014
Gough Lab - Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
- Urban Ecology: Nitrogen Deposition Increases in Urban Plants
AUG 2011 - MAY 2013
Bob Jones Nature Center - Southlake, Texas
- Living Collection Database - survey, GPS data logging, photography, identification and data entry of terrestrial plant species