Spotlights
Matt Silverhart defends thesis evaluating fish assemblage variation in Great Lakes wetlands
Matthew Silverhart successfully defended his Master's thesis on November 27, 2023 titled "Fish Assemblage Structure In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Over Ten Years". His thesis committee included Drs. Carl Ruetz, Matt Cooper, and Meg Woller-Skar.
Matt's project focused on evaluating the variation in fish assemblages (the variety and abundance of fish species) within coastal wetlands across the Great Lakes basin over ten years. He observed that watershed basin, monodominance of a single vegetation type, hydrologic and geologic features of wetlands, and sampling year are all driving variation in fish assemblages. The patterns observed were weak but had statistical significance. This supports previous research in coastal wetlands highlighting the diverse nature of fish assemblages within and their responses to various abiotic and biotic factors.
After finalizing his thesis submission, Matt plans to pursue a career in fisheries by either working with state or government agencies, or continuing his research in coastal wetlands.
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