Kelly Borns
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Ames, IA
5/17/12 - 7/6/12
Dr. Joseph Morris
 Professor at ISU in the Department of Natural
Resource Ecology and Management (NREM)
Teaches:
- Fishery Management
- Aquaculture
- Controversies in Natural Resource Management
 Associate Director of the North Central Regional
Aquaculture Center (NCRAC)
Our Research
Funded by the DNR, we were given the opportunity to
compose 3 different research projects on hybrid striped
bass:
1. Correlation between population density and growth
rate.
2. Growth differences between normal hybrid striped
bass and their reciprocal cross.
3. Effects of fertilizer on growth rate.
Work Environment
 Lab: Climate controlled, organized,
and clean, but sometimes smelly
depending on the organisms we work
with.
 Field: Relatively clean while making
routine collections, while some days
would get a little dirty and involved
the use of waders. Comfort during
field work was completely
determined by the weather.
Job Description
Assisted in the collection and recording of data:
 Zooplankton collection, counting and identification
 Isotope analysis on zooplankton
 Benthics collection, counting, identification, and
measuring.
 Water parameter collection and quality tests
 Release and harvest of hybrid striped bass
 Gut analysis on harvested hybrid striped bass
Jim Wamboldt, ISU Graduate Student
 Created the research protocols for all 3 experiments
with Dr. Morris.
 Scheduled the events of collection and managed
undergraduate assistants.
 Analyzed collected data and formed action plans that
fluctuated with the data.
 Consulted Dr. Morris with any and all questions
regarding unusual data or organisms.
What I Learned
 The natural life cycle of zooplankton
and how predatory fish influence
their populations.
 A variety of methods used for data
collection and the relevance of that
data to the research.
 How to manage and maintain fish in a
natural pond.
 The importance of data integrity and
random sampling.
Professional Benefits
 Assertive communication skills improve greatly since it
is crucial in a time sensitive operation.
 Learn to never overlook even the slightest observations
because they can prove to have great importance.
 Get to know the procedures and protocols necessary
when working with vertebrate research and chemicals.