• Evaluate the effectiveness of electric barriers in restricting the movement of bighead and/or silver carp
• Evaluate the effectiveness of acoustic/bubble barriers in restricting the movement of bighead and/or silver carp
• Evaluate the effectiveness of combined barrier types (i.e. electric / acoustic / bubble) in restricting the movements of bighead and/or silver carp

• Identify consumer preferences and demand for fish products
• Estimate consumers’ willingness-to-pay for important food safety and quality informational attributes embedded in aquaculture products
• Assess the competitiveness of aquaculture products with regards to food safety versus imported aquaculture products

• Investigate how ecosystem-wide changes to Lake Michigan affect prey utilization by top predators, using stomach content, fatty acid profiles, and stable isotope ratios

In North America, there are two subspecies of Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus): the Eastern Banded Killifish (F. d. diaphanus) and the Western Banded Killifish (F. d. menona). While Banded Killifish are considered secure across their range, some populations of Western Banded Killifish are considered Vulnerable or Threatened and populations of Eastern Banded Killifish are expanding rapidly into new regions. Subtle differences in the ecology between subspecies has been found to have strong effects on community composition and energy pathways in freshwater ecosystems. Potential ecological differences between Eastern and Western Banded Killifish are unstudied, therefore through this graduate student scholars project we seek to investigate the trophic ecology of Banded Killifish populations from Illinois and Indiana. Using stable isotope analysis, we can determine whether there is an ecological difference in trophic position and dietary niche width between the two subspecies, as well as how the invasion of the Eastern subspecies could impact the Western subspecies and freshwater communities or ecosystems more generally.

The objectives of this study are to:

• Study the sources and contamination levels of enteric bacteria and viruses in Burns Ditch, one of the most polluted streams that flow into Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana.
• Determine the impact of the pollution of Burns Ditch on the microbial quality of lake front water off West Beach, located three kilometers west of the water outfall.
• Use a molecular approach to detect viruses in stream and lake waters.
• Use a computer-based image analysis system to determine the quantity of viruses in water samples.

The objective of this research is to quantify differences molecular level genetic damage to bullhead catfish in the heavily contaminated Lake George reservoir versus levels of damage in bullhead catfish from the virtually uncontaminated Jasper Pulaski reservoir using the alkaline DNA unwinding method.