What is the AEL?
The AEL is a dynamic research group that seeks to advance knowledge and stewardship of aquatic ecosystems. We pursue an expansive, management-driven approach to questions involving Lake Erie and inland Ohio reservoirs and watersheds. AEL researchers have also tackled questions in other ecosystems throughout the world, including the effects of flow-regime on fish populations in prairie streams in the western U.S., multiple stressor effects on Lake Tanganyika cichlids and Atlantic coast salmonids, hypoxia impacts on coastal marine fishes, and the relationship between terrestrial land use and freshwater biodiversity.
The core principles of the AEL are Research, Collaboration, and Outreach. Always feel free to reach out to faculty, staff, and students for information on recent publications and projects.
Research
Find out more about how we frame our research questions, projects we have completed, our published work, and our research spaces on our research pages:
Collaboration
Collaboration is key to the success of all research programs, and the AEL works hard to seek and maintain research partnerships with university, NGO, and local, state, provincial, and federal agencies. See below for information on the AEL's important research partnership with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, as well as information on key research collaborators and sponsors.
Outreach
Outreach is one of the AEL's core principles because we believe it paves the way for stewardship. We don't believe science can be complete without effectively sharing findings, so we work hard at sharing ours. See more information on our outreach page.
Decades of Partnership: Ohio Division of Wildlife
The Aquatic Ecology Laboratory (AEL) holds a more than 30 year partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife (DOW) in which our faculty, postdocs, and students work with DOW biologists and scientists to answer questions in fisheries ecology and conservation in Lake Erie and inland lakes/reservoirs throughout Ohio.
The AEL in context
The AEL is situated within the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) in the College of Arts of Sciences. At the AEL with work with our EEOB colleagues towards our department mission, and we stand firmly with our department stance on the value of diverse perspectives:
As educators, we appreciate that diverse approaches, media, and examples enrich student learning experiences. As researchers, embracing diverse perspectives and backgrounds among staff, faculty, and students is crucial in shaping meaningful research questions, designing equitable programs, and evaluating outcomes. We recognize the limitations that a singular perspective or educational pathway can impose on personal and professional growth and strive to be flexible and welcoming to different approaches. Understanding that diversity strengthens our collective efforts, we actively promote inclusivity within our community.
Land Acknowledgement
The Ohio State University acknowledges that its campus is situated on the ancestral and contemporary territory of the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Delaware, Miami, Peoria, Seneca, Wyandotte, Ojibwe, and many other Indigenous peoples. We understand that acknowledging the historical and ongoing impact of colonization is an essential step toward fostering an inclusive environment. Ohio State’s formal land acknowledgment can be found on the Center for Belonging and Social Change website. Native Land Digital provides an interactive map that you can use to learn more about native land and historical territories both here in Ohio and around the world.
News
Find our news updates here and don't forget to follow us on Twitter @ael_osu.
How to find us
Find a map and directions to our lab here.
ael@osu.edu
232 Research Center
1314 Kinnear Rd
Columbus, Ohio 43212