March 25, 2022
Fish movements and feeding in response to change and opportunity across space and time
Dr. Nathan Furey
Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire
Abstract
Movements are a fundamental aspect of biology, shaping the experiences of and interactions among individuals, populations, and their environments. Animal movements are often driven by changes in environmental conditions and variations in food availability. Seasonal variability in particular drives migrations among taxa across landscape. This seminar will explore seasonal movements and feeding of fishes from a variety of systems, including salmon-bearing freshwater systems in British Columbia, the Canadian high Arctic, and the Gulf of Maine. Using these systems, this seminar will explore how migratory and non-migratory fishes exploit seasonal variability, ecological principles that affect these interactions, and the potential consequences of climate change.
Biosketch
Dr. Nathan Furey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNH, and heads the Fish and Movement Ecology Lab. He holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia, a MS degree from Texas A&M University, and a BS degree from the University of New England. His research attempts to determine the motivations and consequences of animal movements through space and time, focusing on fishes of management and conservation concern. Nathan uses acoustic telemetry to track the movements of fish and crustaceans in estuaries and coastal waters to determine space use, habitat requirements, migration timing, and survival. Because animal movements require energy, the Fish and Movement Ecology Lab also conduct research in bioenergetics and predator-prey interactions. Knowing who-eats-who and quantifying diet quality allow us to predict consequences of ecosystem change due to warming waters, changes to habitat, or other anthropogenic impacts.