Learning Biology

I earned my Bachelors of Science degree in biology from St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin. I then attended The Ohio State University for my Master's Degree in aquatic ecology under Elizabeth Marschall and Derek Aday.

While at St. Norbert College, I completed a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates. My project continued more than 20 years of recorded largemouth bass diets in addition to investigating the fish parasite assemblages at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center.

My Master's research investigated energy-allocation strategies of bluegill and crappie and quantified differences based on size, sex, and species. These field collections aided in the development of theoretical models designed to predict the optimal energy-allocation strategies for bluegill and crappie across latitudes. Using dynamic programming, we made predictions for size-, sex-, and latitude-specific growth and reproductive strategies throughout the year for bluegill and crappie.

While growing up I had several freshwater aquariums. During college, I began my first saltwater reef aquarium. Since then, the size of my aquarium has grown to the current 240 gallon tank. In attempts to minimize any negative impact on the environment, the vast majority of the corals and fish in this system are aquacultured or produced by other aquarists. Several great sites with a wealth of information on saltwater aquariums are ReefCentral, Uberfrags, and the Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society.

I also enjoy photography as a hobby. I recently purchased a digital SLR and I am enjoying the added control and creativity that is made possible with this equipment. A few good sources of information on this topic are Photography-on-the.net, Fred Miranda Forums, and Photosig. You can view some of my photographs at Joes-Photography.com.

Although I currently live near Chicago, IL, growing up in central Wisconsin ingrained a love of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers in me.