Meet the Scientists

Name:  Pamela J. Schofield, Ph.D.
Occupation:  Research Fisheries Biologist
Place of Business:  U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center

E-mail: pschofield@usgs.gov
Phone: 352-264-3530

How did you become interested in your field and working with invasive species?
I’ve always loved being on the water and learning about science, so this was a natural fit for me.  Growing up in southern Florida, I couldn’t escape seeing the problems associated with nonindigenous species that surrounded us (such as Brazilian pepper trees, which gave my little brother serious allergic reactions).  I remember taking a local botany course when I was at community college and being amazed that a tour of our campus revealed no native plants.  They were all non-native!  That started me thinking about what was around me every day and where it came from.  When I was in graduate school, I did my master’s research in East Africa, where I worked on Nile perch, a large carnivorous fish that was introduced throughout the region.  While there, I saw firsthand how nonindigenous species like Nile perch could have serious, negative consequences on native communities.  After that experience, I knew that I wanted to do scientific research and was passionate about doing whatever I could to help broaden our understanding of introduced species.

What do you do?
I do field and laboratory research on nonindigenous fishes.  I employ a few graduate students, and we work together as a team with our partners in places such as Everglades National Park.  Right now, most of our work is in south Florida, although we occasionally work in other places in the southeastern United States.  We often collect fishes in the field and bring them back to the laboratory for experiments.  Our laboratory studies can be grouped into two categories: 1) ecophysiology research that documents species tolerances to environmental variables such as temperature, salinity and low oxygen and 2) impact studies that show how non-native and native fishes interact and the effects these fishes have on each other.

What do you like about your job?
Who wouldn’t love working in Everglades National Park?  It is a national treasure.  We go there to collect fish but see so much more – birds, snakes, crayfish, toads, lizards – you name it!  So I love going in the field.  But I also love the laboratory experiments.  It is a lot of work to get ready for the experiments because we have to make sure we’ve covered all our bases before we begin.  There is a great deal of planning involved.  But once we finally have our plans together and have the fish in the laboratory, we can begin the experiments.  And you just never know what is going to happen.  Almost every time, something surprising happens that we weren’t expecting.

What advice would you give students who are interested in science?
If you think you are interested in science, give it a try.  Volunteer for a scientist or perhaps get a summer job in a laboratory.  Nothing compares to getting in there and seeing how science is done up close.  You’ll learn so much about yourself and what you like or don’t like.  It will help you make decisions in the future.