Jason J. Van Tassell

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Aquatic Ecology Laboratory
223 Research Center
1314 Kinnear Road
Columbus, OH 43212-1156
Phone: 614.292.1613
FAX: 614.292.0181

Email: van-tassell.1 “at” osu.edu
 

REASEARCH INTERESTS:

My current research interests focus on how individual phenotypes and behaviors, in addition to different management strategies, may influence recruitment dynamics of exploited fish populations. Using a mixture of empirical observation, experimentation, and modeling, my PhD research seeks to determine whether adult phenotypes translate to offspring phenotypes and, ultimately, offspring survival, and whether parental effects contribute to an explanation of walleye recruitment variation in Lake Erie. I have a secondary interest in quantifying linkages in food webs to identify critical processes that structure aquatic communities and, in turn, developing simulation models to determine (and quantify) ecological interactions at all biological levels.

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. In progress. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Major: Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology.
Advisors: Roy A. Stein and Elizabeth A. Marschall
Dissertation title: Influence of parental phenotypes in characteristics of early life history stages of walleye.

Licentiate in Philosophy. 2002. Stockholm University, Sweden. Fulbright Scholar.
Major: Marine and Brackish Water Ecology.
Advisor: Sture Hansson
Thesis title: Application of bioenergetics models for two fish species.

Jason drives "Bronzeback," an AEL Boston Whaler, on Lake Erie

B.S. 1999. Utah State University, Logan, Utah.
Major: Fisheries and Wildlife with honors and emphasis on Fisheries Management, and with minors in biology, mathematics, and statistics.
Advisor: David A. Beauchamp
Honor thesis title: Kokanee and mysids influence on zooplankton dynamics and nutrients recycling in Lake Tahoe, Nevada-California, USA.
 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Graduate Research Associate. 2002-present. Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (EEOB), The Ohio State University (OSU).

Graduate Teaching Associate. 2003, Plankton (EEOB 647), EEOB, OSU.  2004Theoretical Ecology II (Optimality models in ecology, EEOB 714), EEOB, OSU. 2007, Honors Ecology (EEOB H413), EEOB, OSU.  2008, Introduction to Ecology (EEOB 413), EEOB, OSU.

Graduate Research Associate. 2000-2002. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Co-instructor with D.A. Beauchamp. 1999. Lake Billy Chinook bull trout modeling workshop. Madras, Oregon.

Undergraduate Honors Research. 1997-1998. Utah State University (USU).

Research Assistant. 1997-2000. USU.
 

RESEARCH:

Influence of parental phenotypes in characteristics of early life history stages of walleye. Collaborators: Jacques Rinchard, Roy A. Stein, Konrad Dabrowski, and Elizabeth A. Marschall. Funded by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Sport Fish in Restoration. 2003-present.

Effect of temperature and elemental concentration on the chemical composition of juvenile percid otoliths. Collaborators: Paris D. Collingsworth, Elizabeth A. Marschall, and John W. Olesik. Funded by Lake Erie Research Fund and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Administrative Special Award. 2004-2005.

Determining Stream Origin and Migration of Four Purported Walleye Stocks in Lake Erie Using Otolith Elemental Analysis. Collaborators: Jennell L. Bigrigg, Roy A. Stein, D. Derek Aday, and Stuart A. Ludsin. Funded by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Sport Fish in Restoration and Lake Erie Research Fund. 2004-2006.
 

PUBLICATIONS:

Rinchard, J., K. Dabrowski, J. J. Van Tassell, and R. A. Stein. 2005. Optimization of fertilization success in Sander vitreus is influenced by the sperm : egg ratio and ova storage. Accepted in Journal of Fish Biology.

Beauchamp, D. A. and J. J. Van Tassell. 2001. Modeling trophic interactions of bull trout in Lake Billy Chinook, Oregon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130:204­216.

Baldwin, C. M., D. A. Beauchamp, and J. J. Van Tassell. 2000. Predator-Prey interactions and diet of salmonids within the Strawberry Reservoir food web. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 129:429­450. Finalist for “Best paper of the year."

Potoven, S.A., S.A. Ludsin, T.O. Hook, D.L. Fanslow, D.L. Mason, P.D. Collingsworth, and J.J. Van Tassell.  An evaluation of bioelectrical impedance analysis for estimating fish energy, lipid, and water content.  In press.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. (20 text pages, 2 figures, 4 tables).
 

UDERGRADUATE STUDENTS SUPERVISED:

Theodore R. Gover.  In progress.  Seasonal and yearly stability of trace elemental signatures in larval walleye otoliths.  Undergraduate research.  Awarded Undergraduate Student Government Academic Enrichment Grant, 2008.

Megan K.Nims.  In progress.  Determination of elemental uptake rate in the early life stages of walleye (Sander vitreus).  Undergraduate Honor’s Research Thesis.  Awarded College of Arts and Sciences Honors Scholorship, 2008.

Jessica E. Best.  2007.  Turbidity influences reaction distance of juvenile saugeye.  Undergraduate research.  Presented a poster at the 2007 Denman Undergraduate Reseach Forum and a oral presentation at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.

 (last updated June 2008)