I am a fish ecologist with particular interests in population and community dynamics, dispersal ecology, population and conservation genetics, and environmental change. I apply a variety of field, genetic, and modeling methods to address key questions in fisheries management and conservation biology.  At Georgia Southern University, I teach Fisheries Biology, Ichthyology, Conservation Biology, Evolution and Ecology, Landscape Genetics, and Environmental Biology.

Research Interests: How will droughts and climate change affect freshwater fisheries? What are the best stocking strategies for recovering endangered species? Where will harmful invasive species spread? How do fish decide when and where they will migrate? These are some of the questions that research in the Roberts lab seeks to address. Our goal is to build fundamental knowledge of ecology and evolution while enhancing the applied fields of fisheries science and conservation biology. We approach research problems from a variety of directions, using a combination of field, genetic, and modeling techniques. Yes, sometimes we even use a rod and reel! Most of our research is focused on freshwater fishes of the southeastern U.S., particularly in rivers of the Georgia coastal plain. Southeastern freshwater fishes are highly diverse and socioeconomically valuable, but frequently negatively impacted by human activities. The work is both challenging and rewarding! Visit the lab website to learn more about who we are and what we do.