Applied Behavioral Ecology Lab
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Bathymetry data collection with sonar equipment

Prospective students

All new opportunities for joining the lab will be posted here.

We aim to recruit highly motivated, intelligent, and well-credentialed students who are interested in fish behavior, ecology, and conservation, and who are dedicated to careers either in the fundamental sciences or the application of scientific knowledge in human decision-making processes.

​We are always looking for fellowship-worthy Ph. D. students interested in working on either (1) movement ecology of sea lamprey via acoustic telemetry, (2) selective fish passage design and fish behavior in and near fish passage devices, or (3) mercury transfer in stream ecosystems, from migrating fishes into the lower levels of the food web. Fellowships are highly competitive and generally require a M.S. or M.A. degree, GPA > 3.7, and GRE scores in the top 10-15%. We are also very interested in historically-underrepresented groups for these positions. Please contact us if you believe you are qualified.

Current opportunities

Each spring/summer we seek a number of full-time temporary research technicians to assist on several projects related to the behavioral ecology of invasive sea lamprey during their annual migration into Michigan streams.  Our work is dually focused on creating new, high quality science that tests fundamental hypotheses about animal behavior AND creating novel means to control the invasive population of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.

Typical responsibilities include:  running behavioral experiments in rivers and laboratory raceways, building and installing telemetry systems (PIT and acoustic), surgically implanting telemetry tags, maintaining sensitive lab and field equipment, data collection and analysis, fish husbandry, and preparation of chemical stimuli. Our studies often take place overnight, as the species is nocturnal. Technicians will also have opportunities to interact with Federal (US and Canada) agency partners, stakeholders, and local residents.
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Check back for application instructions.
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        Address

          Michigan State University
​          Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife
          480 Wilson Rd.
​          East Lansing, MI 48812

Telephone

office:   517-353-5485
​lab:       517-353-0731

Email

mwagner@msu.edu
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