Dr. Michael J Weber

I have worked on a variety of aquatic systems including ponds, shallow lakes, large reservoirs, rivers, and the Laurentian Great Lakes. Regardless of the system or species, I use an integrated approach that relies upon a variety of study types, including natural field experiments, experimental manipulation, and modeling to address research questions. Although broad, my research revolves around four interconnected topics: 1) how dynamics occurring during early life stages influences fish recruitment; 2) how major ecological processes such as competition, predation, keystone species, and ecosystem engineers can structure population dynamics of fishes (recruitment, growth, and mortality) and aquatic ecosystems; 3) relationships among land use, physicochemical lake characteristics, and fish communities and population dynamics; and 4) developing unique solutions to management problems. Although broad and diverse, these research topics provide an increased understanding of aquatic ecosystem structure and function that ultimately enhances fisheries management practices.

Publications

  † denotes graduate student, * denotes undergraduate student

2018

*Fernholz, S, †A Sylvia, and MJ Weber. Hook wound healing rates and use as an indicator of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides catch-and-release angling pressure. North American Journal of Fisheries Management XX: XXX-XXX.

†Sullivan, CJ, MJ Weber, †CA Camacho, DH Wahl, R Colombo and CL Pierce. 2018. Factors regulating year-class strength of Silver Carp throughout the Mississippi River basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society XX: XXX-XXX.

Weber, MJ and ML Brown. 2018. Effects of resource pulse magnitude on nutrient availability, productivity, and stability, and food webs in experimental aquatic ecosystems. Hydrobiologia.

†Baldwin, RC, †MD Sundberg, TW Stewart, and MJ Weber. 2018. Influence of sieve mesh size on relationships between macroinvertebrate assemblage and environmental variables in wetlands.  Wetlands. http://rdcu.be/GtLL

†Sundberg, MD, †RC Baldwin, TW Stewart, and MJ Weber. 2018. Effects of drought on wetland condition through reductions in fish abundance. Wetlands. http://rdcu.be/GtLx

†Bevil, MC, and MJ Weber. 2018. Relative effects of density-dependence versus environmental factors on Bluegill populations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management.

2017

Wagner, C, M Diana, M Wolter, C DeBoom, MJ Weber, and DH Wahl. 2017. Survival and growth of three geographically distinct stocks of Muskellunge introduced into Midwestern reservoirs. Pages 437-465 in KL Kapuscinski, TD Simonson, DP Crane, SJ Kerr, JS Diana, and JM Farrell, editors. Muskellunge management: fifty years of cooperating among anglers, scientists, and fisheries biologists. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 85, Bethesda, Maryland.

Dembkowski, DJ, MJ Weber, and M Wuellner. 2017. Factors influencing recruitment and growth of age-0 Yellow Perch in eastern South Dakota glacial lakes.  Fisheries Management and Ecology 24:372-381.

†Sullivan, CJ, †CA Camacho, MJ Weber, and CL Pierce. 2017. Intra-annual variability of Silver Carp populations in the Des Moines River, USA. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 37:836-849.

†Ball, E, and MJ Weber. 2017. Validation of a glucose meter for measuring glucose in age-0 walleye.  North American Journal of Aquaculture 79:245-249.

Weber, MJ, ML Brown, DH Wahl, and DE Shoup. 2017. Quantifying the spatial scale of common carp Cyprinus carpio recruitment across North America. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 74:1682-1691.

Weber, MJ, and MA Flammang. 2017. Effects of PIT tag size and implantation site on tag retention and growth and survival of juvenile walleye and muskellunge. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 37:480-488.

Weber, MJ, and M. L. Brown. 2017. Evaluating potential competitive bottlenecks between invasive common carp and native bluegill and yellow perch. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 27:216-224.

†Letvin, A., ML Brown, K Bertrand, and MJ Weber. 2017. Effects of common carp on trophic dynamics of sport fishes in shallow South Dakota water bodies. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 146:331-340.

​2016

†Sundberg, MD, †RC Baldwin, TW Stewart, and MJ Weber. 2016. Linkages among land use, invasive fishes, and prairie pothole wetland condition.  Wetlands 36:1097-1107.

Flammang, M, R Schultz, and MJ Weber. 2016. A comparison of small and large frame nets and hoop nets for sampling panfish populations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 36: 1347-1357.

Weber, M.J., M.J. Hennen, M.L. Brown, D.O. Lucchesi, and T. St. Sauver. 2016. Compensatory response of an invasive species, common carp Cyprinus carpio, to harvest. Fisheries Research 179: 168-178. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783616300546

Weber, M. J., and  M.L. Brown. 2016. Effects of resource pulses on nutrient availability, ecosystem productivity, and temporal variability following a stochastic disturbance in eutrophic glacial lakes. Hydrobiologia 771:165-177. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-015-2628-z

*Carl, D., M. J. Weber, and M. L. Brown. 2016. A comparison of three attractants to increase catch rates of juvenile common carp. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 36:506-513. http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/YPkayV5WpiqbHqZADs8b/full

Weber M. J., M. Thul, and M. Flammang. 2016. Effectiveness of pulsed direct current at reducing walleye escapement from a simulated reservoir. Fisheries Research 176:15-21. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783615301442

2015

Weber, M. J., *B. Ruebush, S. M. Creque, R. A. Redman, J. M. Dettmers, and S. J. Czesny. 2015. Early life history of alewife Alosa pseudoharengus in southwestern Lake Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Weber, M. J., M. L. Brown, D. H. Wahl, and D. E. Shoup. 2015. Metabolic theory explains latitudinal variation in common carp populations and predicts responses to climate change. Ecosphere 6:54.

Bajer, P., T. K. Cross, J. Lechelt, C. J. Chizinski, M. J. Weber, and P. W. Sorensen. In press. Across-ecoregion analysis suggests a hierarchy of ecological filters that regulate recruitment of a globally invasive fish. Diversity and Distributions 21:500-510.

Wagner, C., M. J. Weber, and D. H. Wahl. 2015. Effect of branching complexity on use of woody habitat by juvenile muskellunge. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 35:14-19.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2015. Biomass-dependent effects of juvenile common carp on aquatic ecosystems. Hydrobiologia 742:71-80.

2014

Flammang, M., M. Thul, M. J. Weber, and R. Schultz. 2014. Evaluating the effectiveness of a sound-bubble-light barrier for reducing walleye escapement. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 34:1047-1054..

*Howell, J. M., M. J. Weber, and M. L. Brown. 2014. Juvenile feeding ecology of invasive common carp and native fishes: potential for prey resource competition. American Midland Naturalist 172: 91-106.

2013

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2013. Spatiotemporal variation of juvenile common carp foraging patterns as inferred from stable isotope analysis. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142:1179-1191.

Weber M. J., M. Flammang, and R. Schultz. 2013. Estimating and understanding factors related to walleye escapement at Rathbun Reservoir, Iowa. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 33:642-651.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2013. Continuous, pulsed, and disrupted nutrient subsidy effects on ecosystem productivity, stability, and energy flow. Ecosphere 4:27.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2013. Density-dependence and environmental conditions regulate recruitment and first year-growth of common carp in shallow lakes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142:471-482.

2012

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2012. Maternal effect of common carp Cyprinus carpio on fecundity and energy content. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 27:409-417.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2012. Diel and temporal habitat use of juvenile fishes in a complex glacial lake. Lake and Reservoir Management 28:120-129.

Carter, M. W., M. J. Weber, J. M. Dettmers, and D. H. Wahl. 2012. Movement patterns of smallmouth and largemouth bass in Lake Michigan: the importance of water temperature. Journal of Great Lakes Research 38:396-401.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2012. Effects of predator species, vegetation and prey assemblage on prey preferences of predators with emphasis on vulnerability of age-0 common carp. Fisheries Management and Ecology 19:293-300.

Weber, M. J., *K. D. Rounds, and M. L. Brown. 2012. Phenotypic variation and associated predation risk of juvenile common carp Cyprinus carpio. Journal of Fish Biology 80:293-300.

2011

Redman, R. A., S. J. Czesny, J. M. Dettmers, M. J. Weber, and D. Makauskas. 2011. Old tales in recent context: current perspective on yellow perch recruitment in Lake Michigan. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 140:1277-1289.

Weber, M. J., J. M. Dettmers, and D. H. Wahl. 2011. Growth and survival of age-0 yellow perch across habitats in southwestern Lake Michigan: early life history in a large freshwater environment. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 140:1172-1185.

Weber, M. J., J. M. Dettmers, D. H. Wahl, and S. J. Czesny. 2011. Size selection and behaviors of native yellow perch foraging on invasive round gobies. Journal of Great Lakes Research 37:584-587.

Kaemingk, M. A., M. J. Weber, P. McKenna, and M. L. Brown. 2011. Effect of passive integrated transponder tag (PIT) implantation site on tag retention, growth, and survival of two sizes of juvenile bluegill and yellow perch. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 31:726-732.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2011. Comparison of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) age estimates derived from dorsal spines and pectoral fin rays. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 26:195-202.

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2011. Relationships among invasive common carp, native fishes and physicochemical characteristics in upper Midwest (USA) lakes. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 20:270-278.

Weber, M. J., M. J. Hennen, and M. L. Brown. 2011. Simulated population responses of common carp to commercial exploitation. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 31:269-279.

2010

Weber, M. J., M. L. Brown, and D. W. Willis. 2010. Spatial variability of common carp populations in relation to lake morphology and physicochemical parameters in the upper Midwest. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 19:555-565.

Weber, M. J., J. M. Dettmers, D. H. Wahl, and S. J. Czesny. 2010. Effects of predator-prey interactions and benthic habitat complexity on selectivity of a foraging generalist. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 139:1004-1013.

2009

Weber, M. J., and M. L. Brown. 2009. Effects of common carp on aquatic ecosystems 80 years after ‘Carp as a dominant’: Ecological insights for fisheries management. Reviews in Fisheries Science 17:524-537.