As ecosystem engineers, beavers punctuate stream continua over space and time through the construction of dams that retain water and establish open meadow habitats. Using space-for-time substitution to sample streams with impoundments at different stages of the beaver dam "life cycle," from intact dam, to breached dam, to recovering wetland, we aim to measure the influence of beaver activity on aquatic-terrestrial food web linkages, insect assemblage composition, and energy flow in streams of the New York Adirondacks.

Graduate Students: Abby Hullihen, Daunte Gaiter

Undergraduate Students: Kendal Massey, Elise Herrick

Research Technicians: Gaby Cardichon

See new blog post from Abby on the CLBS website here!

Adirondack ponds provide critical refuge habitat for brook trout within their native range. However, the interacting effects of climate warming and introduced baitfish species on these systems threatens their ability to support brook trout, which require cold, highly oxygenated habitat and do best in monoculture. We aim to determine (1) how seasonal changes in oxythermal habitat availability may affect brook trout foraging behavior and nutrition, and (2) whether the presence and identity of other fish species affects the ability of brook trout to access to high-quality food items. This work is conducted in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) with funding from NYS DEC, New York State Water Resources Institute, and the New York State Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions.

Graduate Students: Jack Marshall, Mike Akland

Undergraduate Students: Matthew Norvilitis, Nora Yousefi, Kylie Boyd-Parry, Jack Ruthkowski

Research Technicians: Hope Malocsay, Nora Yousefi, Grace Tanski, John Cohen

See new article featuring our NYS DEC-funded brook trout research from Adirondack Explorer, here!

Northern pike are keystone predators that rely on provision of habitat and forage from wetland habitat, especially during the juvenile life stage. In the St. Lawrence River, where northern pike are native, populations are under threat due in part to the dominance of non-native aquatic vegetation in wetland habitat. In the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River, Cranberry Lake has become a destination for northern pike fishing. In Cranberry Lake, northern pike are non-native but wetlands are still dominated by native aquatic vegetation. We aim to compare the ways in which juvenile northern pike interact with their wetland habitats in the St. Lawrence River and Cranberry Lake to inform conservation and management of northern pike in both systems. This project is funded by New York Sea Grant.

Co-PI: John Farrell

Graduate Students: Ben Spitz, Matt Foli

Research Technicians: Kasey Sawatis, Emily McDonald

See award announcement here and press release here!