McNair Scholar 2020 Kathy Zamarripa
Kathy Zamarripa is a junior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in conservation biology with a minor in marine biology. Her research interests revolve around how to influence the human population to seek positive change. Ms. Zamarripa plans on getting her Ph.D. in Human Genomics or Marine Sciences.
My dream is to develop everlasting change towards equality and growth through innovative research on human genomics. By obtaining a P.h. D, I will establish my authority to speak on evolutionary change and development.
Research project
Variable Impacts of Invasive Zebra Mussels on Native Fishes
Abstract: Zebra mussels are an invasive species that caused a variety of ecological and industrial impacts, but their impacts on fish are variable. We did a literature review to evaluate the evidence for zebra mussel effect on fish. We found a total of 10 papers containing 156 comparisons on 22 freshwater fish species, two different study types, and over 100 different lake locations. Almost half (44%) of the studies found a decrease in their studied impact. Overall abundance was significantly decreased by zebra mussels whereas growth had also decreased, but not as significantly. Yellow perch were generally not affected, but walleye and whitefish were negatively affected post-invasion. Further research is needed to understand the full effects of zebra mussels and their direct impact on fish to understand why the results are varied.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Gretchen J. A. Hansen is currently an assistant professor of Fisheries Ecology in the Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Department at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Hansen attended University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received her Ph. D. in Limnology and Marine Science in 2012. Her research focuses on patterns and process in aquatic communities and ecosystems by employing statistical analyses of historical data, observational field studies, simulation modeling, and large-scale experimentation to answer applied science questions in real world context. Dr. Hansen is published in multiple journals and presented her work at conferences nationwide. This is Dr. Hansen’s first times as a McNair faculty mentor.