In 2008 I began working with Dr. Michael Quist at Iowa State University, Michael Bower of the National Park Service, and other biologists to better understand population dynamics in the highly endangered Devils Hole Pupfish. Maria Dzul, a M.S. student I co-advise with Dr. Quist, has been analyzing historical count data to better understand their long-term decline. She has also been trying to understand sources of variation (e.g., time of day or different divers) that influence pupfish counts so that we can refine the monitoring protocol for this species. Eventually, she will develop a population model for the pupfish that should be useful for informing future management decisions for this species.
