Michael C. Quist
Population Ecology
I seek to take an integrative approach to my research on fishes by focusing on all aspects of their population dynamics (i.e., growth, recruitment, mortality). Consequently, my approach is often multifaceted, including the use of long-term data sets, field studies on various life history stages (i.e., larvae, juveniles, adults), experimental manipulations to elucidate mechanistic relationships, and ecological models to investigate factors population rate functions. I am particularly interested in how various abiotic characteristics and biotic interactions influence fish population dynamics, particularly as they relate to management actions (e.g., harvest regulations, habitat manipulation, nonnative species interactions).
Age & Growth
Quality age and growth information is paramount to understanding fish population dynamics. I am fascinated by all aspects of age and growth analysis—from field collection, to structure preparation and processing, to image analysis, to data analysis and interpretation. As such, virtually all of my research contains a focus on age and growth of fishes.
Management Tools
I have long had an interest in developing tools and techniques that improve the efficiency and efficacy of fisheries science. Many of these efforts focus on age and growth analysis (e.g., structure analysis, growth models), whereas other efforts focus on the evaluation of sampling designs, application of novel sampling gears, and the use of emerging analysis techniques.
Fish Assemblage Structure
Understanding factors related to the occurrence and abundance of fishes is a central focus of both basic and applied ecology. The last of my major research directions (though it was one of first I embarked upon as a graduate student) has been examining patterns in fish assemblage structure. In addition to my interests on the effects of multiple, often hierarchical scales, I am also interested in the interplay between abiotic habitat conditions and biotic interactions, particularly with regard to anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., water development, land use in the watershed) and the introduction of nonnative species. My research on fish assemblages often integrates with my research on fish population dynamics (e.g., age and growth analysis).