Kylee Wilson, PhD student with Stu Ludsin, received a Mary H. Osburn Memorial Award. These awards are granted to two high performing EEOB graduate students each year.

Monica Woodruff, UM student co-advised by Stu Ludsin, defended her thesis on April 11, Conceptualizing the Recruitment of Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Lake Whitefish in Support of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management in Lake Erie: Insights from Expert Elicitation

AELers Kylee Wilson and Andrew Foley attended the Great Lakes Fishery Commission Lake Erie Committee meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario on March 19. Kylee and Andrew enjoyed participating in the meeting.

Dr. Ludsin will be teaching Ecology of Inland Waters, EEOB 5420 in Fall semester 2025 (4 credits)

Lectures: Weds & Fri, 1:35 – 2:55 PM

Lab: Weds 3:05 – 5:20 PM

• Gain hands-on field experience in freshwater ecosystems
• Plunge into freshwater ecosystem ecology & function
• Discover the drivers of freshwater ecosystem change
• Learn how to manage & protect freshwater systems

Prerequisites: EEOB 3410, graduate student standing, or permission of instructor

The Aquatic Ecology Lab artwork has had an upgrade!

To better represent the diversity of research interests an activities of the AEL, we sought new artwork. In working with the College of Arts & Sciences graphic designers, we have a suite of new imagery that will better represent the AEL and improve our style in presentations, our website, and on social media. We bid a fond farewell to our old fish artwork, but look forward to a future of more diverse research avenues!

The Ludsin Lab was very well represented with attendance and presentations at the Ohio Chapter of the American Fisheries Society joint meeting with Pennsylvania and West Virginia chapters. The meeting took place in Wheeling, West Virginia, March 4-6.

Th presented seven talks and one poster, and enjoyed presentations from many colleagues from the Ohio Division of Wildlife as well as other researchers across the region.

Presentations:

Jacob Bentley Food Web Structure, Ecological Niche, and Niche Overlap of Blue Catfish and Other Sport Fish in Ohio Reservoirs Using Stable Isotopes

Andrew Foley Using High Throughput Sequencing Genetic Analyses to Test for Consumption of Larval Yellow Perch in Piscivorous Fish Diets (poster)

Steve Gratz Factors Affecting Variation in Fatty Acid Composition of Selected Fishes in Central Ohio Reservoirs 
(recent technician, presenting on Jacob Bentley’s work)

Kylee Wilson The Influence of Fishing Gear on Yellow Perch Catch Success in Western Lake Erie

Some conference highlights include Kylee winning best Ohio student talk and Andrew winning best Ohio student poster and best student poster overall.

Ludsin Lab postdoc, Shaley Valentine, was honored by her selection to the President’s Postdoctoral Scholar Program. This program gives full support to researchers for up to two years and includes funds to cover some research costs. Shaley rose to the top of a competitive candidate pool, and the AEL as a whole is grateful for the university recognition of her valuable contributions to the university and the lab.

Four representatives of the Ludsin Lab presented at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, January 19-22.

Shaley Valentine presented two talks and hosted a workshop, Jacob Bentley presented on his master’s work, Steven Gratz presented on additional data from Jacob’s project, and Andrew Foley presented on his mater’s work. Everyone also had lots of opportunities for networking and connecting with colleagues.

The 2024 Lake Erie & Inland Waters Research Review meeting was held December 12-13 at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. Presenters representing 27 different universities or agencies presented on fisheries and aquatic research in Ohio from the past year.

Ludsin Lab members presented three talks during the meeting, and all enjoyed a productive meeting.

Understanding Long-term Angling Success for Yellow Perch in Western Lake Erie
Kylee Wilson, Lindsey Bruckerhoff, Elizabeth Duskey, Jim Hood, Heather Luken, Zachary Slagle, Stuart Ludsin

Understanding Mechanisms Driving Yellow Perch Recruitment in Central Lake Erie
Andrew Foley, Elizabeth Duskey, Lindsey Bruckerhoff, James Hood, Stuart Ludsin

Niche Size and Overlap of Reservoir Sport Fish in the Presence and Absence of Blue Catfish
Jacob Bentley, Stuart Ludsin

Ludsin Lab members along with their fellow AELers and their families and loved ones gathered for another wonderful holiday party on December 14 at the home of Jim Hood. We were grateful to be able to celebrate the season (and the end of the semester!) even with quite a few remote colleagues who came into Columbus to attend the annual Research Review meeting.

The white elephant was another success in mayhem, with Jim’s children opening a huge box of duck calls as the final gift. They will certainly be treasured, I’m sure!

Serious contenders in the Ugly Sweater contest were scooped by the cuteness of a 7-year-old in his dad’s over-sized ugly hunting-themed sweater.

It turns out we were having too much fun, because it would seem no one took any photos!