Alayna successfully defended her MS thesis, “Short-term consequences of lowhead-dam removal for fish community dynamics in an urban river system” last Wed. May 4th and submitted her approved thesis this Tuesday.  Alayna will be presenting some of her results at the upcoming Society for Freshwater Science meeting in Sacramento later this month. Nice job Alayna and best of luck in your next adventure!

Strive Lab recently participated in the 22nd annual Columbus City School Exceptional Science Fair. We showed off some cool aquatic insects from the Olentangy River, and taught students about animals many may have never seen before. Beechcroft High School students were able to pick through woody debris to find live insects, as well as look at some more interesting preserved specimens. We also showed some freshwater mussels from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Freshwater Mussel Conservation and Research Center.

Reina Tyl showing how to find live aquatic insects.

Clarissa Lawlis showing off a unionid mussel covered in zebra mussels.

Dr. David Manning gets students excited about aquatic insects!