Texas has three species of catfishes restricted to deep underground aquifers. They are fascinating creatures, potentially endangered, and hugely in need of diverse research. Though we currently have only limited funding for sporadic fieldwork (caving) in the area around Lake Amistad (Del Rio), Texas, and are occasionally exploring caves in Coahuila, Mexico, looking for these fishes, there are other ways students can get involved in work on these fascinating fishes.
We also have a project on American Eels in Texas' rivers. Though well studied elsewhere, we know very little about these amazing critters here in Texas.
And, there are many ways to get involved in our Fishes of Texas Project, and its spinoffs into applied science-based conservation and outreach via the Native Fish Conservation Areas (NFCA) program now being managed by TPWD and us.
And, we can also hook you up with really local work on Waller Creek, right in the middle of main campus.
Find more about all of these in our lab's website.
Enthusiastic and dedication to learning more about fishes, aquatic ecosystems, and their conservation
fieldwork, data management, specimen curation, data analyses and visualizations, are all part of what we do all the time, and we can involve diverse students in many ways in any of these activities