Welcome to our lab group! We study the interplay between evolutionary and ecological processes in shaping biodiversity. Our current research focuses on freshwater fish and lake food webs in New Zealand including Rēkohu/ Chatham Island. Our interests include intraspecific niche variation, life history evolution, phylogenetic comparative methods, and the effects of salinisation and altered connectivity on populations and food webs.

Lab News

Congratulations to Mitra Darestani for submitting her PhD thesis using NGS to investigate landlocking in New Zealand fish

Congratulations to Motia Ara for submitting her PhD thesis on the evolutionary history of smelt on Rēkohu/Chatham Island!

Travis is back from four months on Rēkohu/Chatham Island for study leave, plus a huge field season for PhD student Grace Davidson

New publication in Journal of Biogeography led by Scott Jarvie predicting how NZ lizards will respond to forecast climate change

New publication in Viruses comparing viromes of migratory  and landlocked smelt and bullies

We are located at the University of Otago (Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo), in Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. Our home is the Department of Zoology (Te Tari Mātai Kararehe), and our field sites include lakes, streams and wetlands throughout the South Island.