Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis Lab Projects

We are committed to working on projects that assist agencies & non-governmental organizations in conserving and restoring aquatic ecosystems or improving basic knowledge in the field of limnology. Many of our projects focus on local, regional, or international issues (see blue dots below).

Find out more about our unique and exciting projects below:

Castle Lakes

For over 52 years the Castle Lake Environmental Research and Education Program (CLEREP) has carried out limnological research and education in a relatively pristine sub-alpine basin of Northern California. The base for the long-term, research, monitoring, and education program is the Castle Lake Limnological Research Station and Laboratory. Constructed in the 1960’s the station operates primarily during summer months.

Monster Fish

The University of Nevada / National Geographic Society Megafishes Project represents the first worldwide attempt to document and protect the planet’s freshwater giants. This ambitious effort aims to gather scientific data on the Earth’s largest freshwater fish, laying the groundwork necessary to facilitate megafish conservation and raise public awareness about the ecological status of the world’s rivers.

Tahoe Research

A series of research, ranging from distribution surveys, diet analysis, establishment projection models, to risk assessment based on water temperature projections have been conducted by researchers at AEAL and our partners (e.g. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, TRPA, etc.) to examine the ecology of these nonnative warmwater fish species in Lake Tahoe. Information gathered is then used for the development and assessment of nonnative warmwater fish management strategies.

Invasive/Non-Native Species

Analyzing, tracking, and looking to prevent the spread of invasive species in the Tahoe are. Primary fields of study include: Mysid Shrimp, Asian Clam, Quagga Mussels, and look at the various non-native species found around the Truckee Watershed. This research aims to help keep our regions lakes as beatiful and pristine as they are now for generations to come.

Climate/Environment Change

AEAL has been working in partnership with Trout Unlimited (TU), California Trout (CalTrout), and the University of California, Davis (UCD) to a) evaluate stream and meadow restoration projects in terms of their specific benefit for fish and aquatic habitats and b) quantify the effects of restoration projects over time.

Restoration Partnership

Studies on the Walker River, Studying the effects of rising climate temperature and changing environments; and Lake Mead, studying Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Lake Mead with the goal to understand the movement and role of endocrine disrupting compounds in the food web of the Lake Mead Ecosystem.

United for Lake Atitlán, Guatemala Project

Lake Atitlán is located in the highlands of Guatemala. Described as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, the lake’s ecology has undergone dramatic alteration due to increasing pollution. In December 2008, the lake underwent a dramatic regime shift when a large cyanobacterial algal bloom occurred. In April 2009, a team of international researchers arrived at Lake Atitlan to work with their Guatemalan counterparts to initiate a collaboration to understand lake processes and conserve the lake.