Department of Biology
W. John O'Brien, Professor
- Research:
- My students and I work to understand the trophic interactions in arctic lakes. We work at the Toolik Lake Research Station in arctic Alaska. I am part of the Arctic Long Term Ecological Research Project as Lake Coordinator and researcher. More specifically we work on arctic zooplankton and the fish and invertebrates that prey on them. We have found that the invertebrate copepod predator Heterocope septentrionalis plays an important role in eliminating small zooplankton species from arctic pond communities. However, fish predation in arctic lakes is relatively unimportant in structuring arctic zooplankton communities.
- Recent Publications:
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Hershey, A. E., G. Gettel, M. E. McDonald, M. C. Miller, H. Mooers, W. J. O'Brien, J. Pastor, C. Richards, and J. Schuldt. 1999. A geomorphic-trophic model for landscape control of trophic structure in arctic lakes. Bioscience. 49: 887-897.
O'Brien, W. J. 2001. Long-term impact of an invertebrate predator Heterocope septentrionalis on an arctic pond zooplankton community. Freshwater Biology 46:39-45.
O'Brien, W. J., M. Barfield, and K. Sigler. 2001. The functional response of drift-feeding arctic grayling: The effects of prey density, water velocity and location efficiency. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 58:1957-1963.
Bettez, N., P. Rublee, W. J. O'Brien, and M. C. Miller. 2002. Changes in abundance, composition and controls within the plankton of a fertilized arctic lake. Freshwater Biology. 47:303-311.
- Classes:
- Principles of Ecology (BIO 301)
- Introductory Ecology Lab (BIO 302)
- Aquatic Ecology (BIO 529)
- Experimental Course: Limnology & Aquatic Ecology (BIO 589)
- Contact:
- 104 Eberhart Building
- (336) 256-0079