Fish Ecology Lab

Measuring algae in gut for microplastic research

The Fish Ecology research lab, located on the West Lafayette campus in the Forestry Building room 120 (FORS 120), houses equipment for field sampling, simulation modeling, and DNA/RNA analysis.Student on boat looking over water, Fish Ecology Lab.

The focus of the fish ecology group, under the direction of Dr. Tomas Hook, is fish and fisheries ecology in the Laurentian Great Lakes and inland lakes of northern Indiana. The group uses an adaptive research approach and various research methods (e.g., field sampling, controlled experiments, statistical analysis, simulation modeling) to address environmental questions at the interface between applied and basic ecology. Other study interests include lower trophic level organisms and both smaller freshwater and larger marine ecosystems.


Research faculty


 Student deploying benthic cleaning device, Fish Ecology Lab.  Measuring walleye eggs as they show up on monitor, Fish Ecology Lab. Student working in Fish Ecology Lab.

Lab Manager & More About Our Research

Matthew Hamilton
Fisheries & Aquatics Lab Manager
195 Marsteller Street
W. Lafayette IN 47906
Phone: 765.496.6266
Email: hamiltmt@purdue.edu​

Learn about our nine Research Areas and meet our world-class faculty members.  

Allied research centers seek to support and enhance the research and partnership enterprise at Purdue University. The centers are valued and encouraged as they create a venue for faculty to come together to pursue common goals. Forestry and Natural Resources faculty and staff are involved in six centers at the University.

The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources maintains an impressive collection of state-of-the-art research and education facilities. These labs, green houses, and educational facilities are a fundamental component that enables our faculty and students to learn, make new discoveries, and engage our clients in using these discoveries to sustain our nation’s ecosystems and natural resources.​