Dr. Jonathan Armbruster
Associate Professor and Curator of Fishes Auburn University
e-mail: armbrjw@mail.auburn.edu
Dr. Armbruster is particularly interested in reconstructing the evolution of the genera of the South American suckermouth armored catfishes or plecos (Loricariidae) using morphological characteristics. I also explore in detail various types of morphological systems such as those related to wood-eating in some loricariid catfishes and accessory respiratory structures. Wood-eating is found in two genera of loricariid catfishes and is accompanied by changes in the bones and the evolution of large spoon-shaped teeth. Many loricariids breathe air and there is a large number of adaptations the fishes use to do so including what appears to be a unique evolution of a lung and a unique evolution of a swim-bladder from that lung. I am also involved in taxonomic revisions of many groups of loricariids as well as other fishes . In addition, I am active in exploring the biodiversity of the planet, particularly that of South America. Studies are underway in Venezuela and Guyana (photo above is taken at Kaiteur Falls in Guyana) to determine what fish species are there and what impact humans may be having on them.
Webpages:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/science_math/res_area/loricariid/fish_key/lorhome/index.html
http://www.auburn.edu/~armbrjw/
Dr. Antonio Campos
e-mail: camposma@gmail.com
Reproducción y Genetica de Organismos Acuáticos
Laboratorio de Acuicultura
Fac. de Biología-UMSNH
Dr. Campos studies the population biology of invasive loricariids in Mexico.
Krista Capps
email: kac98@cornell.edu
Krista is a PhD student at Cornell University studying the ecological impacts of loricariids on freshwater ecosystems in southern Mexico. She is also one of the creators of PlecoInvasion.org.
Webpage: www.eeb.cornell.edu/capps/index.htm
Dr. Joel M. Chavez
Project Development Officer III
Technical Panel for Science and Mathematics
Commission on Higher Education
E-mail: joelchavez@gmail.com
Dr. Chavez studies Pterygoplichthys species that was introduced in the Philippines as an ornamental fish. Because of its perceived ability to clean dirty water of its algae content, this fish was released in a number of waterways in the Philippines and has been proliferating in the second largest lake in Asia--the Laguna de Bay. Its introduction already has caused economic damage to many fisher folks but its ecological impact is yet to be elucidated. For now, we do know there are two species of the fish living in almost the same waterways leading to Laguna de Bay whereas they live in separate regions in the their original range in South America.
Chavez et al. Zootaxa 1109: 57–68 (2006)
Dr. Donovan German
E-mail: dgerman@uci.edu
Dr. German is an ecophysiologist interested in digestive mechanisms, microbial processes, and more recently, global change. Much of my work during my graduate career was focused on the digestive physiology of fishes.
Web page: http://www.zoology.ufl.edu/dgerman/Index.html
Dr. Nathan Lujan
E-mail: nklujan@gmail.com
Dr. Lujan is most interested in the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic diversification mechanisms of primary consumers in tropical rivers and streams. My research to date has focused on the Neotropical suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae), for which I have employed an interdisciplinary approach combining relatively traditional methods of describing jaw functional morphology with modern and/or novel methods of describing community trophic structure and historical biogeography.
Dr. Manuel Mendoza
email: mcarranza@ecosur.mx
Taken from web page description of Dr. Mendoza: Doctorado en oceanografía biológica por la Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Brasil. Cursos: Ecología general, Ecología de estuarios y pesquerías trópicales y estadistica. Experiencia en investigación: responsable técnico de 4 proyectos de investigación, tres en aspectos pesqueros de peces y elasmobranquios en la pesca artesanal de Tabasco, y uno en ecología de larvas y peces juveniles de las zonas estuarinas de Tabasco. Actualmente, realiza investigación en ecológia acuática y en monitoreo de la Laguna de Sitio Grande en Teapa, Tabasco, e investigación de la biológia y pesquerías de elasmobranquios en la Costa de Tabasco. Cuenta con seis publicaciones internacionales, cuatro nacionales y dos de divulgación. Tesis dirigidas: tres de licenciatura, una en proceso; cuatro de maestría y dos en proceso, más dos tesis de doctorado en proceso. Investigador de Ecosur Unidad Villahermosa desde 2002.
Web page: http://bdi.ecosur.mx/personal/informaciongeneral.aspx?ID=MendozaManuel
Dr. Roberto Mendoza
Universidad Automoma de Nueva Leon
e-mail: roberto.mendoza@yahoo.com
Dr. Mendoza is interested in the impacts and management of invasive species.
http://www.cec.org/files/PDF/BIODIVERSITY/07-64-CEC%20invasives%20risk%20guidelines-full-report_en.pdf
Dr. Leo Nico
E-mail: lnico@usgs.gov
Research Fishery Biologist
Nonindigenous Fishes Research Program
Florida Integrated Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL.
