Dr. Lisa Eby is an Assistant Professor of Aquatic Vertebrate Ecology at The University of Montana. She received her B.S. in Zoology and M.S. in Limnology and Oceanography from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Ph.D. in Aquatic Ecology from Duke University. After working briefly as a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University, she was hired by the College of Forestry and Conservation here in Montana. Her previous research has spanned a range of questions and ecosystems from examining chronic stress (low oxygen zones) and catastrophic disturbances (floods and hurricanes) on individuals, populations, and communities in estuaries, to exploring the role of population shifts on food web interactions and trophic transfer in lakes, to analyzing long-term community changes in desert stream fish communities.
Fish Biology and Management: This class explores the biology of fishes, the most diverse group of vertebrates. The areas treated include morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of fishes to their aquatic environments, as well as aspects of population, community, and applied ecology. We will be discussing both freshwater and marine fishes with an emphasis placed on freshwater fishes native to Montana.
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Students in the Fish Biology Class sampling an irrigation ditch, learning local fish species, and issues surrounding population ecology |
Advanced Fisheries: This course introduces some of the fundamental principles of inland fisheries ecology and management. Through a case study approach I hope that you begin to understand (1) the quantitative nature of fish population assessment, (2) the complexity of ecological interactions linking fish to other components of aquatic communities and ecosystems, and (3) the challenge of balancing multiple human values in managing fisheries resources.
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| Students in the Advanced Fisheries class working with David Schmetterling (Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks) checking fyke nets and measuring northern pike in Mill Town Reservoir. |
Fisheries Field Interships: In this class an internship is arranged with a management agency, NGO, or other sponsor. The goal is to provide the student with hands-on experience as varied as possible, subject to seasonal opportunities. The student must (1) work 120 hours, (2) meet with me periodically throughout the semester to discuss their activities and progress, and (3) submit a review paper regarding a fisheries issue they encountered during their internship.
Research Design: In this class we review scientific methods, critically thinking about questions posed in research, and the approach taken to collect data to answer them. Specifically we explore issues of scientific inference, examine classic experimental and survey design, and investigate quasi-experiments. Within this class the students review literature in their field, practice designing experiments and surveys, as well as analyzing data.
Seminars previously offered: Topics in Fish Ecology, Food Webs and Landscapes, Estuarine Ecology
