Zoology 511 -- Ecology of Fishes -- Spring 2008
521 Noland Hall 1:20-5:00 pm
Lab Instructors
Matt Kornis
kornis@wisc.edu
Jereme Gaeta
jereme.gaeta@gmail.com
cell: (414) 531-3171
office: (414) 531-3171
cell: (661)319-0871 office: 262-3087
Offices and office hours (for both)
Center for Limnology, 680 N. Park St
After class Tuesday and Wednesday or by appointment.
Faculty Instructors
Jim Kitchell
Jake Vander Zanden
206 Center for Limnology
223B Center for Limnology
office: 262-3014
office: 262-9464
Course Website: http://limnology.wisc.edu/courses/zoo511/
All handouts, powerpoint lectures, assignments, and answer keys will be available on the
website
ZOO 511 will have a slightly different format and teaching content as compared to previous years.
There will be less emphasis on the biology of fish. You’ll be asked be able to identify 27 fish families
and 76 species, but no Latin names. Instruction will encourage a thorough understanding of the
elements that effect fish and fish populations (more ecology, less ichthyology). We’ll do this with
reading and summarizing primary literature, identifying species, field trips, writing a comprehensive
term paper, and various lab activities. Additionally, the lab will better compliment the Ecology of
Fishes lecture (ZOO510). This does not prohibit anyone from only taking the lab as a stand-alone
class, without taking the lecture. All the material necessary for the lab will be provided during the
lab, in readings, and assignments. If you have any questions about aspects of the course, topics we
don’t cover, or careers in fish and aquatic sciences please feel free to email or call anytime. We’re
looking forward to a great semester.
Brian and Matt
Class Goals – during this class you should:
 Understand what influences the abundance and distributions of fish and fish populations.
 Be able to identify Wisconsin fish families and species and be able to use a key to identify all
species.
 Learn skills to conduct and analyze ecological research and to write a scientific paper.
 Learn an appreciation for the diversity of fishes and adaptations to diverse life histories.
Readings – For most classes there will be short readings assigned. These will be one or two pages of
text that will help you with some of the definitions and critical aspects that will be covered in class
that week. We know you have lots to read for other classes, so we aren’t going to burden you with
pages of material, but we expect you to read what is assigned.
Fish identifications – You will be expected to be able to identify 76 species into 27 different
Wisconsin fish families and know the common names of all species. You will not be responsible for
memorizing Latin names of fish.
Field Trips - There are three field trips during the semester, the first to a classic spring fed Wisconsin
trout stream, will provide the data for the scientific paper. You’ll collect and analyze the data and
write a paper based on a hypothesis that you develop. The other two field trips are based late in the
semester and will expose you to a host of fish collection methods and diversify the number of different
Wisconsin fish you get to handle. One trip is to Lake Mendota, and will involve a number of field
sampling techniques. The other field trip is scheduled for the Yahara River, but may change
depending on conditions. Field trips will require that we leave slightly earlier (1:00pm) and may bet
back slightly later then the normal class periods. We’ll do everything we can to make it back by
5:00pm. Students must attend field trips on their regular lab day. Remember to dress appropriately
for the conditions. You do not need your own waders for the class, but some students who have hip
waders, chest waders, or rubber boots prefer to bring their own for the field trips.
Term Paper
This course emphasizes writing more than most science courses you may have taken. Most class
periods will include a section titled “Skills Development”, the intention of which is too teach the most
current research techniques used by active researchers in the university. Class exercises will explore
literature searching, idea development, pattern recognition, statistical analyses, and the art of
scientific writing. You will write two drafts of a scientific paper, which will be reviewed by the T.A. and
by your peers. Anticipate spending a significant amount of time on this paper.
Exams
There will be two in-class exams. Exams will be based on fish identification, analysis of figures,
lectures, readings, and discussion. Exam format will be short-answer or fill-in-the blank in a lab
practical format.
Questions and Quizzes
Most weeks, you will turn in short answers to questions, based on the previous week’s lab. Please
pay attention to these short questions each week. Although they are only worth a few points each
week, they can make the difference between letter grades. Additionally, there will be a number of
“pop quizzes” at the beginning of class periods. These short, but important, quizzes will cover the
reading that was assigned for class that day.
Assignments
Assignment 1: Ecology of “your” fish
Each student is assigned a freshwater and marine fish. We want you to demonstrate that you can
find primary literature (real papers, not websites) relating environmental and biological aspects of
ecology to your particular species. Then read and summarize these papers.
Assignment 2: Develop hypotheses based on observations
Develop a testable hypothesis about the ecology of fish that you observe and collect on the Black
Earth Field trip. The goal here is to get you to “observe” ecology while you are in the field. We’ll
teach you all about this.
Assignment 3: Bioenergetics Exercise
Bioenergetics 3.0 is a program developed right here at UW by researchers in the Center for
Limnology. It uses known species specific physiological characteristics and allows you to input
attributes of fish that you’ve measured, such as growth. You can then explore various aspects of
ecology to understand how variable such as water temperature, or amount of food influence how
much a fish grows.
Paper: You’ll be expected to turn in an outline, a first draft, and a final draft of your paper.
Additionally you will review one of your classmates paper (Assignment 4) and provide them comments
on how they can improve their writing.
Grading scale
Your grade will be based on exam scores, the scientific paper, weekly questions, assignments, and
class participation.
Item
Midterm Practical
Final Practical
Scientific Paper
Outline
First Draft
Final Draft
Assignment 1: Ecology of your fish
Assignment 2: Develop hypotheses
Assignment: Bioenergetics exercise
Assignment 4: Review a peer's paper
Questions and Quizes
Class Participation
Points
40
40
10
20
20
10
10
10
10
25
5
200
All assignments are expected to be turned in on their due date. Most assignments will be turned in
electronically via email, quizzes and tests obviously will be in class. For every day that an
assignment is late, we will take off 10% of the maximum attainable score.
Final grade cutoffs:
Grade
Points
A
186
93
AB
176
88
B
160
80
BC
150
75
C
136
68
D
118
59
Incomplete
<118
<59
Percentage
WEEKLY TOPICS
Handouts and assignments will be printed out for you each week. Powerpoint slides will not be
printed!
WEEK 1 (Jan 23,24): People and course introductions, definitions, anatomy of fish (BW)
- ASSIGNMENT 1: Ecology of your fish
WEEK 2 (Jan 30,31): Fish evolution and evolutionary ecology, emphasis on first ½ of WI
fishes (MK)
WEEK 3 (Feb 6,7): Population ecology, emphasis on WI stream habitats (MK)
- DUE: Assignment 1: Ecology of your fish
WEEK 4 (Feb 13,14): Bioenergetics 3.0: Comp. simulations of fish ecology (Meet at the CFL)
(BW)
- ASSIGNMENT 3: Bioenergetics exercise (should finish in class)
WEEK 5 (Feb 20,21): (Apr 10,11): Exotic, Extinctions, and Competition (MK)
- DUE: Assignment 3 Bioenergetics exercise
WEEK 6 (Feb 27,28): Fish feeding and diet analyses (BW)
WEEK 7 (Mar 6,7): Lab Practical Midterm
WEEK 8 (Mar 13,14): BLACK EARTH CREEK FIELD TRIP (Leave early, get back late)
- ASSIGNMENT 2: Develop hypotheses based on observations
WEEK 9 (Mar 20,21): Organizing, Analyzing, and “Statisticizing” data: (Meet at the CFL) (MK)
- DUE: Assignment 2: Develop hypotheses based on observations
- Assignment 4: Paper outline w/ sources
WEEK 10 (Mar 27, 28): Fish Behavior (MK) emphasis on second ½ of WI fishes
- DUE: Assignment 4: Paper outline w/ sources
(APRIL 3,4):
SPRING BREAK
WEEK 11 Fish growth and growth analysis techniques (BW)
WEEK 12 (Apr 17,18): KITCHELL’s CABIN FIELD TRIP
- DUE: Black Earth Creek Paper Draft
- ASSIGNMENT: Black Earth Creek Paper Peer Review
WEEK 13 (Apr 24,25): LAKE MENDOTA FIELD TRIP
- DUE: Black Earth Creek Paper Peer Review
WEEK 14 (May 1,2): Fish in ecosystems, fisheries techniques, Jeopardy Review (Both)
- DUE: Black Earth Creek Paper
WEEK 15 (May 8,9): Lab Practical Final
Readings
Readings will be placed on reserve at the Biology Library (Birge Hall) under ZOO 511. These
books can also be viewed in the Limnology library. You will be informed of additional readings
as needed during the semester.
Becker, G.C. 1983. The Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, WI.
Available online at: http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/becker.html
Evans, D.H. (Ed.). 1993. The Physiology of Fishes. CRC Press. London.
Helfman, G.S., B.B. Collette, and D.E. Facey. 1997. The Diversity of Fishes. Blackwell
Science, Inc. Malden, MA.
Matthews, W.J. 1998. Patterns in Freshwater Fish Ecology. Chapman & Hall. New York, NY.
Moyle, P.B., and J.J. Cech. 1996. Fishes: An introduction to Ichthyology. Prentice Hall.
Saddle River, NJ.
Wooton, R.J. 1990 Ecology of Teleost Fishes. Chapman and Hall. London.