invasive species

Tag: invasive species

David Cordie Receives Research Award at Parasitologists Conference

Lawrence University biology major David Cordie was recognized for the best undergraduate presentation at the recent Annual Midwestern Conference of Parasitologists (AMCOP) held at Purdue University.

David Cordie ’13

Cordie received the Raymond Cable Award for his presentation “Testing alternate hypotheses of parasitic communities and aquatic invasive species interaction in Green Bay, Lake Michigan.” The award included a $200 cash prize.

Seniors Briana Harter and Samantha Luebke joined Cordie at the conference as poster presenters.

Cordie’s presentation focused on research he began last summer on the round goby, an invasive fish species that competes with and preys upon native fish species, disrupting the food chain. Round gobies were introduced in the 1990’s though ship ballast water and have since established themselves throughout the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan and the Fox River.

Specifically, Cordie investigated whether round gobies carry non-native parasites that could potentially be transmitted to native fish populations.

“I am so happy David received this award,” said Judith Humphries, assistant professor of biology, who served as one of Cordie’s research supervisors along with Professor of Biology Bart De Stasio. “It reflects the hard work he put into this project during the last year.”

Cordie’s project was supported by a Mielke Foundation grant and a research grant awarded by AMCOP in 2012. A 2013 magna cum laude graduate of Lawrence, Cordie will pursue graduate studies this fall at the University of Iowa.

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