Current Lab Members
Olivia Piscitelli, Lexia LaBollita, and Greg Gundberg are working on a project exploring intra- and inter-individual variation in fish scale morphology.
Lab Alumni
Sarah Berlinger: Sarah is a Biology high school teacher and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Biology at Fitchburg State University. She is working on a project examining the influence of salinity on the egg hatching success and larval development of the Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulus.
Caitlin Barbadoro and Katherine Eaton worked as undergraduate research assistants in the lab during the
summer of 2015.
Michael Leva: Mike graduated from Fitchburg State University in May of 2015 with a B.S. in Biology. His senior research project focused on whether there were population differences in how salinity may influence the growth of young of year Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus). After collecting from three populations across an urban-rural gradient and raising them for four months in one of three salinity treatments (0 ppt, 1 ppt, and 3 ppt), Mike found no differences in growth rates for either length or weight. This suggests that this species, although found in freshwater, is able to handle salt levels well above what is found naturally in these populations (the highest recorded salinity was 0.3 ppt) and is resilient to the point that it can tolerate brackish water (brackish begins at 3 ppt). Interestingly there were also no population level differences. This raises the question of exactly how tolerant this species is and whether this is reflective of all freshwater species in the area. Michael is working at an aquaculture facility after graduation and intends to apply to graduate school for a Master's degree in Biology in the future.
Charly Alvarez: Charly graduated from Fitchburg State University in May of 2014 with a B.S. in Biology. He worked on a project in the lab that explored diet differences between Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) from different habitats (rivers and lakes). Charly found that certain taxa of invertebrates were consumed more in one habitat over the other, but this varied depending on the taxa. More intriguingly, fish from the pond were more “choosy” than those from the river in that they consumed only about half of the number of taxa available to them. Together these results suggest that Bluegill sunfish occupying different habitats do vary in the amounts and types of prey that make up their diet. Charly is currently working at Integra Companies as a cleanroom technician.
Olivia Piscitelli, Lexia LaBollita, and Greg Gundberg are working on a project exploring intra- and inter-individual variation in fish scale morphology.
Lab Alumni
Sarah Berlinger: Sarah is a Biology high school teacher and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Biology at Fitchburg State University. She is working on a project examining the influence of salinity on the egg hatching success and larval development of the Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulus.
Caitlin Barbadoro and Katherine Eaton worked as undergraduate research assistants in the lab during the
summer of 2015.
Michael Leva: Mike graduated from Fitchburg State University in May of 2015 with a B.S. in Biology. His senior research project focused on whether there were population differences in how salinity may influence the growth of young of year Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus). After collecting from three populations across an urban-rural gradient and raising them for four months in one of three salinity treatments (0 ppt, 1 ppt, and 3 ppt), Mike found no differences in growth rates for either length or weight. This suggests that this species, although found in freshwater, is able to handle salt levels well above what is found naturally in these populations (the highest recorded salinity was 0.3 ppt) and is resilient to the point that it can tolerate brackish water (brackish begins at 3 ppt). Interestingly there were also no population level differences. This raises the question of exactly how tolerant this species is and whether this is reflective of all freshwater species in the area. Michael is working at an aquaculture facility after graduation and intends to apply to graduate school for a Master's degree in Biology in the future.
Charly Alvarez: Charly graduated from Fitchburg State University in May of 2014 with a B.S. in Biology. He worked on a project in the lab that explored diet differences between Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) from different habitats (rivers and lakes). Charly found that certain taxa of invertebrates were consumed more in one habitat over the other, but this varied depending on the taxa. More intriguingly, fish from the pond were more “choosy” than those from the river in that they consumed only about half of the number of taxa available to them. Together these results suggest that Bluegill sunfish occupying different habitats do vary in the amounts and types of prey that make up their diet. Charly is currently working at Integra Companies as a cleanroom technician.