Steven M. Seiler

Adjunct Faculty - Associate Instructor

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point

Department of Biology

167 TNR Building

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Stevens Point, WI  54481

715-342-5176

B.A.    Kalamazoo College

M.Sc.  Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D.  Idaho State University

Email:

Research Interests

I have broad interests in ecology and enjoy mentoring undergraduates in my research program whenever possible.  Much of my research takes place in aquatic ecosystems where an extra set of hands on a sampling crew often leads to independent research projects for students.  Descriptions for a few of my research projects are listed below. See bottom of the page for reprints.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Acidity on Stream Communities:

The direct effects of acid pollution have been a concern in aquatic communities for a long time.  Clearly, lowered pH caused by acidic precipitation or runoff from mining operations can create conditions unsuitable for fish, invertebrates, and other organisms.  I am interested in the level of acid tolerance that different species have and if species that tolerate higher acidity may actually receive a net benefit if their competitors and predators are less able to cope with this stress.

Ecological and Environmental Influences on the Spread of Nonnative Fish Species:

Numerous fish have been introduced to rivers and lakes across North America with a common result being the loss of native fishes.  Although competition and predation are often cited as the cause for the loss of native species, the specific ecological mechanisms that provide advantages to introduced species are rarely well understood.  I use field studies and laboratory experiments to test for mechanisms that may be at work between native and nonnative species.  My laboratory studies span the range from behavioral contests to physiological performance contests and the goal of field studies is to document where nonnative species have spread and whether environmental factors may influence where they will spread in the future.  Finding from these studies can be used to steer conservation and management efforts and provide a framework for understanding other introduced and invasive species.

Ecological Influences of Dams on Stream Communities:

There are an estimated 2.5 million dams on small streams in the United States alone.  Aside from being a barrier to fish movement, these dams alter flow regime and water quality and their impoundments are often the site of species introductions.  My initial interest in the influence of dams on small streams was aimed at determining how dams impact fish community composition.  In collaboration with students for undergraduate research projects, I expanded this research to include comparisons of macroinvertebrate communities and fish parasite communities between natural and altered portions of streams. Given the prevalence of dams, it has not difficult to find replicates to study these patterns in aquatic communities with the ultimate goal to provide evidence about how stream communities may benefit from dam removal.

Publications*

Seiler, S.M., Gunnell, K., Ptacek, M.B. and Keeley, E.R. 2009. Morphological patterns of hybridization between Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) and introduced rainbow trout (O. mykiss) in the South Fork of the Snake River watershed, Idaho and Wyoming. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29:1529-1539.

Seiler, S.M. and E.R. Keeley. 2009.  Competition between native and introduced salmonid fishes: rainbow trout and cutthroat-rainbow hybrids cause reduced growth of Yellowstone cutthroat trout.  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 66: 133-141. (.pdf)

K.J. Rodnick, P.K. Battiprolu, S. St-Hillaire, S.M. Seiler, M.S. Powell, and J.L. Ebersole. 2008.  Evidence for differences in sex ratio, swimming performance, morphometrics, and incidence of disease in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from West Fork Smith River, Oregon.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137: 1571-1590.

Seiler, S.M. and E.R. Keeley.  2007. A comparison of aggressive and foraging behaviour between juvenile cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and F1 hybrids. Animal Behaviour 74: 1805-1812.  (.pdf)

Seiler, S.M. and E.R. Keeley.  2007.  Morphological and swimming stamina differences between Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri), rainbow trout (O. mykiss), and their hybrids.  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 64: 127-135.(.pdf)

Seiler, S.M. and A.M. Turner. 2004.  Growth and population size of crayfish in headwater streams: direct and indirect effects of acidity.  Freshwater Biology 49: 870-881. (pdf)   

Turner, A.M., T. Morrow, S. Harris, P. Dalby, J. Dressler, and S. Seiler. 2003.  Watershed scale assessment of an acid-mine abatement project in Clarion County.  Center for Rural Pennsylvania Publication, Harrisburg, PA.

*Please download for educational or personal use only.

In Review or In Preparation

Seiler, S.M., Becker, B.L., E.R. Keeley, and M.B. Ptacek.  Environmental correlates of hybridization between native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) and introduced rainbow trout (O. mykiss).