This webinar is part of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program Continuing Education Webinar Series for volunteers. 

Description: River chubs (genus Nocomis) are recognized as keystone species that contribute to the persistence of many minnow species, and possibly macroinvertebrates, in increasingly urbanized streams across the eastern United States. Yet, for as long as chubs and their behaviors have been described, what motivates them to willingly host so many species on their nests has been a mystery. In this webinar, you will learn some of our most recent research results that are revealing how chubs manipulate the assemblage of fishes they gather around themselves, to derive disproportionate benefits from what is considered a mutualism between chubs and other fish species.

Presenter: Emmanuel Frimpong is a professor of freshwater fish ecology and conservation with Virginia Tech. He studies a wide range of issues related to how human-mediated changes to fish habitats and the environment drive distribution, persistence, and abundance of species. He is currently principal or co-principal investigator of research involving many species of conservation concern, including Candy Darter, Slender Chub, Brook Trout, and Bog Turtle. His favorite research species is Bluehead Chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), which he has been studying in Virginia for 16 years, primarily supported with grants from the National Science Foundation. 

Hosts: Michelle Prysby (Virginia Master Naturalist Program Director) and Tiffany Brown (Virginia Master Naturalist Program Assistant)

Zoom Recording ID: 86458368353 UUID: vl9sdFG1RTe1fSJC5R75dw== Meeting Time: 2023-08-09 03:40:06pmGMT