Derek P. Crane, Ph.D. - Principal Investigator
CV_2021
Ph.D. SUNY-ESF (Ecology)
M.S. University of Michigan (Natural Resources and Environ.)
B.A. Lycoming College (Biology and Criminal Justice)
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Coastal Carolina University where I teach and conduct research on a variety of topics related to fish and aquatic ecology. I am particularly interested in questions focused on population biology, conservation, and management of fishes. Although my teaching and research are conducted in aquatic environments ranging from saltwater marshes to large lakes, I am most at home in the dynamic environments of rivers and streams.
Ph.D. SUNY-ESF (Ecology)
M.S. University of Michigan (Natural Resources and Environ.)
B.A. Lycoming College (Biology and Criminal Justice)
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Coastal Carolina University where I teach and conduct research on a variety of topics related to fish and aquatic ecology. I am particularly interested in questions focused on population biology, conservation, and management of fishes. Although my teaching and research are conducted in aquatic environments ranging from saltwater marshes to large lakes, I am most at home in the dynamic environments of rivers and streams.
Students
Molly Takacs - M.S. Student
I enrolled at CCU in Fall of 2019 after graduating from the University of Central Missouri with a B.S. in Wildlife and Natural Resource Conservation and a minor in Marine Biology. I completed an undergraduate honors project on “Darter movement along a Missouri stream gradient” with a focus on Orangethroat Darters. I also took part in a group research effort to investigate the effects of marine protected areas on coral diversity while studying abroad in Belize. Before starting my graduate studies, I worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation as a field technician, collecting information on streams to guide efforts to reintroduce the Topeka Shiner. For my M.S. research, I am studying the abundance and growth rates of juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon in the lower Waccamaw/Pee Dee river system. I am also looking at the proportion of spring vs. fall-spawned Atlantic Sturgeon recruits in separate cohorts. My research interests include marine biology, marine and wetland ecology, fish ecology, and fisheries management.
Cory Bauerlien - M.S. Student
I graduated from Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in the spring of 2017 with a B.S. in Marine Science and minors in applied mathematics and biology. As an undergrad, I worked with Dr. Crane in his lab at CCU and authored a paper titled “Precision of calcified structures used for estimating age of Chain Pickerel Esox niger” which was published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management and co-authored another paper, “Validity of age estimates from muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) fin rays and associated effects on estimates of growth,” which was published in Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. After completing my undergrad degree I worked as a fisheries research technician from fall 2018 through summer 2019 for the Ohio Division of Wildlife and The Ohio State University at the Fairport Harbor Fisheries Research Station in Fairport Harbor, OH. There, I was responsible for sample processing, age estimation, and diet analysis. My graduate research began in fall 2019, and is focused on quantifying the population level effects of catch and release angling mortality on Muskellunge in the upper James River in Virginia.
Meredith Pfennig - M.S. Student
I graduated from Hofstra University with a B.S. in Biology, while playing field hockey, in the spring of 2019. At Hofstra, I was able to study abroad in the Galapagos where I learned about their conservation efforts, along with the many animals that reside there. I started at CCU in the fall of 2021, and I am a part of the CMWS master’s program. For my M.S. research, I am studying the use of chemical marking of calcified structures in fishes and comparing the validity of age estimates based on multiple calcified structures for Guadalupe Bass, Channel Catfish, Redbreast Sunfish, and Gray Redhorse. I am broadly interested in marine biology and ecology, fish ecology, and conservation.
Katie Kline - Undergraduate Honor's Student
I am a student in the HTC Honor's College at Coastal Carolina University, and I started working with Dr. Crane in the Fall of 2021. My undergraduate honor's thesis research is focused on estimating the seasonal abundance of Redfin Pickerel in a tributary of the Waccamaw River. In addition to estimating seasonal abundance, I am also investigating seasonal changes in age and size distributions, sex ratios, and individual maturity to better understand seasonal patterns of reproduction. I will be graduating in December 2022 with a B.S. in Marine Science and minor in Biology. My research interests include fisheries and wildlife management, fish ecology, and marine biology.