Research work at Montana LAB this Summer-Fall 2020
This summer, we are busy surveying streams across different river basins in Central - East Texas.
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1) We are investigating the status of two invasive species (Cyprinodontiformes: Sheepshead minnow and Gulf Killifish) into native communities and pathways of introduction of these invasive species.  Jordan Griffin and Zachary Hutchens (Biology Undergraduates at SFASU) are doing a great job in helping with this State project.

2) Jake Swanson (Master Student) is examining fish communities across riverine landscape across Central-East Texas streams. 

​3) We are also surveying and running excretion experiments in amphibian species in pond at DCNF to examine energy and nutrient exports from ponds to forest ecosystems.

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Zachary, Jordan and Dr. Montana seining in the Red River, Texas. 5/29/2020
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Jake, Zachary and Jordan posting with a Bowfin Collected at Gran Saline Creek, Sabine River Basin. 6/28/2020
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Red River pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis) collected from Pease River, Upper Red River Basin. 6/29/2020

Summer 2020 Field Research  Activities

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Zachary Hutchens (student research), Jordan Griffin (student research assistant) and me @ the Upper Brazos River near Graham TX. during our stream survey. June 2020
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Montana & Schalk Lab members during the alligator snapping turtle survey @ East Texas. 22 July 2020.
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Experimental setting for nutrient excretion in amphibians @ ponds in Davy Crockett National Forest, TX. June 2020.

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​Internships & volunteering opportunities
​at Montana Lab

​Are you interested  in aquatic ecosystems: ponds, streams, rivers?  in aquatic organisms such as fish, aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles?  The Montana Lab welcome  motivate undergraduates  with great interest in getting hands on research experience working on the field or lab settings. 

​Please, contact Dr. Montana via email if you are interested in volunteering or doing an internship in her lab. ​

​Fall 2020 courses 
BIOL 4484/5484​ Limnology 
BIOL 3381 - General Ecology
More news:
November 2020
Dr. Montana  was invited to speak at the 1st. International Symposium of Tadpole Evolution. Brazil 2020. Her talk was entitled: Tadpole trophic ecology: continued efforts to answer the question 'what tadpoles really eat?”

October 2020
Dr. Montana  was awarded with a SFA Minigrant.

The Montana Lab conducted fish surveys in the Upper Brazos and Red River basins.
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September 2020
Courtney Plummer and Valerie Castillo (Biology Undergrads) joined the Montana Lab as research assistants.

August 2020
Our paper entitled "Seasonal variation in basal resources supporting fish biomass in longitudinal zones of the Usumacinta River, southern Mexico"  is published online early view in Marine and Freshwater Research. Congratulations to all!!

Erin Shepta joined the lab as a MS student. Welcome Erin!

​June 2020
Our paper entitled "The relationship between trophic level and body size in fishes depends on functional traits" was published in early view in Ecological Monographs.

April 2020
Jordan Griffin and Zachary Hutchens were awarded 1st Place overall Undergraduate Poster presentation at the statewide 2020- Ecological Integration Symposium at Texas A&M. Way to go Jordan and Zach!!

Graduate (Jake Swanson) and undergraduate (Jordan Griffin, Zachary Hutchens, Kathy Li, Hannah Bays, Allison Pinson) students at Montana Lab presented their ongoing research via Virtual format at the statewide 2020- Ecological Integration Symposium at Texas A&M.

February 2020
Jordan Griffin will be presenting her research project at the College of Science and Mathematics showcase Feb 22. Way to go Jordan!

Our paper entitled Macroevolutionary analyses indicate that repeated adaptive shifts towards predatory diets affect functional diversity in Neotropical cichlid  is published in early view Biological Journal Linnean Society. Congratulations to all!

January 2020
Morgan Beckham passed her MS oral examination! Congratulations Morgan!

Alejandra Martinez and Jordan Griffin (Undergraduates) and Dr. Montana will be presenting their research project at Texas Chapter American Fisheries Society meeting 2020, Waco, Texas. 23-25 Jan.

Our paper in Environmental Fish Biology entitled: "Functional and trophic diversity of fishes in the Mekong-3S river system: comparison of morphological and isotopic patterns" was accepted for publication! Yeaaa!