STRIVE Lab Participates in Local Columbus High School Science Fair

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.

Reina Tyl showing how to find live aquatic insects.

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

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

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Dr. David Manning gets students excited about aquatic insects!

Dr. David Manning gets students excited about aquatic insects!

SENR Holiday Party

This post is a little bit late, but before winter break the lab enjoyed a holiday luncheon with the rest of the School of Environmental and Natural Resources.

 

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Reina Tyl, Bobby Davis, and Ellen Comes enjoy the free lunch.

 

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Lars Meyer and Alayna Dorobek doing some hard core networking during lunch.

STRIVE Lab Members Present Research at Annual OBCP Conference

Four Stream and River Ecology Laboratory (STRIVE) members recently presented research posters at the Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership (OCBP) and Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Laboratory (TWEL) conference. Held annually, the OBCP conference is an opportunity to share recent scientific work between Ohio Division of Wildlife personnel and researchers within The Ohio State University. This research, conducted through the partnership, guides management and conservation decisions for wildlife throughout Ohio. Master’s student Alayna Dorobek presented her research regarding the consequences of urban lowhead dam removal on fish food web structure. Dorobek’s research has implications for Division of Wildlife’s management of urban fish populations. Research associate Reina Tyl presented work on variability in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) reproductive success in urban and protected riparian areas. This research should facilitate management of insectivorous bird habitat. Research associate Brian Zimmerman and PhD student Daniel Symonds co-authored a poster displaying the preliminary work being done translocating bluebreast darters (Etheostoma camurum) to the Upper Licking River basin. This research involves moving a native, non-sport fish to historical habitat upstream of an immigration restricting impoundment. Resulting discussion between presenters, academic collaborators, and government personnel acknowledged current achievements as well as facilitated future directions of research and its management implications. 

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Research Associate Brian Zimmerman presented the poster Translocation of the Bluebreast Darter to the Upper Licking River basin, Ohio: rationale and initial steps.

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Research Associate Reina Tyl (right) discusses the implications of her research poster titled Variability in tree swallow reproductive success and body condition in urban and protected riparian areas of central Ohio: preliminary evidence, with SENR Master’s student Kaley Donovan.

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Master’s student Alayna Dorobek presented the poster Shifts in fish food webs following lowhead dam removal in an urban river system.