{"id":93,"date":"2014-01-19T17:21:13","date_gmt":"2014-01-19T23:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bonvillain.people.nicholls.edu\/?page_id=93"},"modified":"2026-04-14T18:24:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T18:24:56","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/labs.nicholls.edu\/bonvillain\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"93\" class=\"elementor elementor-93\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3443117e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3443117e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4e5ed08a\" data-id=\"4e5ed08a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6322a240 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6322a240\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Research in the Aquatic Ecology and Astacology Lab involves a variety of aquatic biota in riverine, stream, floodplain, lake, wetland, and estuarine habitats throughout Louisiana.\u00a0 Below are some examples of previous and ongoing research.<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1191\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1191\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1191\" src=\"http:\/\/labs.nicholls.edu\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/IMG_0941-300x225-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1191\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faxonius palmeri ssp.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><span style=\"color: #b32222\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #b32222\"><strong>Distribution and life <\/strong><strong>history of Louisiana crayfishes<\/strong><\/span><br \/>Most people in Louisiana are familiar with our two commercially important crayfishes, the red swamp crawfish <em>Procambarus clarkii<\/em> and the southern white river crawfish <em>Procambarus zonangulus<\/em>.\u00a0 However, most are unaware that Louisiana has approximately 39 species of crayfish within seven genera.\u00a0 I am attempting to fill in gaps and update our current knowledge on the distribution, life history, and ecology of crayfishes throughout Louisiana.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #b32222\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1196 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/nichollslabs.wpengine.com\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/Bonvillain3-2-300x225-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/>Stock assessment of crayfish in the eastern Atchafalaya River Basin<\/strong><\/span><br \/>Stock assessments are vital in modern fisheries management to monitor past and current status on populations including population size and structure, and the potential responses of the fishery to future management decisions.\u00a0 However, there have not been extensive stock assessments for the crayfish fishery in the Atchafalaya River Basin (ARB).\u00a0 We are working with The Nature Conservancy and local crayfish processors to obtain a stock assessment for crayfish in the eastern ARB.\u00a0 The results obtained from this project will provide the first empirical-based, fisheries-dependent large-scale stock assessments for crayfish in the ARB.<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #b32222\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1195\" src=\"http:\/\/nichollslabs.wpengine.com\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/LK-257x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/labs.nicholls.edu\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/LK-257x300.jpg 257w, https:\/\/labs.nicholls.edu\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/LK.jpg 355w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px\" \/>Effect of hydrologic restoration activities on <em>P. clarkii<\/em> population characteristics in the Atchafalaya River Basin<\/strong><\/span><br \/>Hydrologic restoration activities planned for The Nature Conservancy&#8217;s Atchafalaya Basin Preserve are aimed to improve flow patterns and water quality and ultimately reduce the extent, severity, and duration of hypoxia in restored areas.\u00a0 We have been working with TNC for the past 10+ years to examine <em>P. clarkii<\/em> population characteristics and physiological indices before and after these hydrologic restoration projects.\u00a0 The information obtained will be used to evaluate the effect of restored water quality on <em>P. clarkii<\/em> populations and can be incorporated into future conservation and restoration decision activities.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #b32222\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1194 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/nichollslabs.wpengine.com\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/P6252288-300x224-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" \/>Biotic and abiotic effects on <em>Procambarus clarkii<\/em> in the Atchafalaya River Basin<\/strong><\/span><br \/>Over 90% of the wild crayfish harvest in Louisiana comes from the Atchafalaya River Basin, however, little research has examined the ecology of <em>P. clarkii<\/em> and the environmental factors that structure crayfish populations and harvests in this system.\u00a0 My research examines how various biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., water quality, habitat characteristics, density) influence crayfish harvests and population structure.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1193\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1193\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1193\" src=\"http:\/\/nichollslabs.wpengine.com\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/P1012095-300x224-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hypoxic black water mixing with normoxic brown water.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><strong><span style=\"color: #b32222\">Effects of environmental hypoxia on <em>P. clarkii<\/em> population characteristics<\/span><br \/><\/strong>Spatially extensive and temporally persistent hypoxia in the ARB is associated with the annual floodpulse and floodplain inundation.\u00a0 Crayfish and other aquatic biota are subjected to hypoxic conditions that can last for several weeks to months in many areas of the ARB.\u00a0 I am examining crayfish population responses to environmental hypoxia by monitoring and comparing populations sampled from hypoxic and normoxic habitats throughout the ARB.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1192\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1192\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1192\" src=\"http:\/\/nichollslabs.wpengine.com\/bonvillain\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/01\/Protein-300x225-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1192\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">P. clarkii hemolymph protein assay<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><span style=\"color: #b32222\"><strong>Physiological biomarkers of hypoxic stress in <em>P. clarkii<\/em><\/strong><\/span><br \/>Crayfish frequently encounter hypoxic conditions in aquatic and\/or burrow habitats.\u00a0 Physical responses by crayfish are often the result of physiological and behavioral responses to endure sub-optimal oxygen conditions.\u00a0 My research investigates and quantifies several physiological biomarkers (hemolymph lactate, protein, and glucose concentrations) of hypoxic stress in crayfish from both field and laboratory experiments.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research in the Aquatic Ecology and Astacology Lab involves a variety of aquatic biota in riverine, stream, floodplain, lake, wetland, and estuarine habitats throughout Louisiana.\u00a0 Below are some examples of previous and ongoing research. \u00a0 Distribution and life history of Louisiana crayfishesMost people in Louisiana are familiar with our two commercially important crayfishes, the red [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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