Reproductive ecology of invasive smallmouth bass

Understanding the reproductive ecology of an expanding invasive species is integral to predict future distribution changes.  As such, I have been observing how spawning patterns of smallmouth bass at the leading edge of its invasive range respond to increasingly colder thermal regimes. Using spatially continuous snorkel surveys, I study how reproduction influences range expansion.

Range expansion mechanisms

As climate changes, species must adapt or move in order to avoid extinction. Predicting the rate and magnitude of range expansion, however, can be complicated by individual responses at range boundaries. Studying an actively expanding invasive fish population at its range boundary, I examine how each life-history stage (i.e., egg, juvenile, adult) responds to changing environmental conditions at seasonal and inter-annual time scales.

Species distribution models

Species distribution models can be useful tools to help visualize how changes to environmental conditions can alter the distribution of species. I am interested in techniques to combine correlative and mechanistic modeling approaches to improve the accuracy of broadly applicable species distribution models. I am currently building a hybrid species distribution model for smallmouth bass in the Columbia River Basin, using eDNA to test my models.