Research in my lab focuses on how aquatic organisms use the physical environment throughout their lifecycle and how human land use within watersheds impacts aquatic organisms through alterations to the physical environment. As one example, water development in desert environments often modifies the flow and sediment regime of streams and rivers, which in turn modifies channel habitat and water quality. Understanding how aquatic organisms are affected by altered flow and associated impacts will require research into their habitat needs and sensitivity to water quality changes, as well as their interactions within aquatic and riparian food webs.
We also study how to best mitigate and reverse watershed impacts through river and stream restoration. An important goal in river restoration is to recover a dynamic, self-sustaining ecosystem. Accomplishing this goal requires an understanding of the physical processes that alter river and riparian habitat and how the life history cycle of aquatic organisms has adapted to these dynamic physical processes.
A major goal of my lab's research is to inform how to manage landscapes to protect and restore the health of aquatic ecosystems, including conservation of aquatic biodiversity.
Dr. Brian Laub
Office: FLN 4.02.36
Phone: 210-458-5124
Email: Brian.Laub@utsa.edu
Mail: University of Texas at San Antonio
College of Sciences - Department of Integrative Biology
One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249
I am currently recruiting graduate and undergraduate student researchers to join the lab. If you have specific project ideas or are just interested in aquatic ecology, contact me and we can discuss potential opportunities.