As lab manager, I oversee the day-to-day efforts of the lab and mentor students while completing research. Projects I am currently working on include ongoing removal efforts for invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in the North Branch of the Chicago River, species distribution modeling and sampling for the invasive amphipod Apocorophium lacustre to prevent its spread into the Great Lakes, and testing the effects of a lab-scale electric barrier on invasive invertebrates.

As a Research Associate in the Keller Lab, I am mainly focused on working to implement a rapid assessment tool (RAT) for use in Illinois. I also work with invasive species such as the red swamp and rusty crayfish, as well as Scud to research the physiology and behavior of invasive species in the Chicago River.

For my thesis research, I am developing sampling methods for invertebrates and macrophytes in Chicago’s harbors. I am also analyzing the gut tracts of invasive scud (Apocorophium lacustre) found in the Chicagoland area to determine their diet and potential impact on food webs.

My work involves understanding the impact of invasive crayfish like rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) and red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on the food web of the Chicago River. To address this, I am using stable isotope analysis to determine the niche width and trophic position of both species, as well as looking at the stomach contents of fish within the river to investigate how these invaders impact fish diets. Additionally, I am also working with Mikayla Ballard to determine if wastewater effluent is influencing the carapace bacterial communities of red swamp crayfish and if they serve as potential vectors for sewage-derived pathogens to spread up the food chain. 

For my research, I am studying microplastic presence in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River. I am assessing impacts on the local food web, such as invasive invertebrates serving as vectors for microplastic movement into higher trophic levels. 

Hello! I study the bacterial implications of red swamp crayfish living amongst sewage outfall in the North Shore Channel. I am in my fourth year of undergrad at Loyola, and I am entering my third year of research in the Keller Lab.

Currently, my research involves developing a system to monitor water temperatures in the North Shore Channel to determine the effects of sewage outfall on a population of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii).

I am a second year Environmental Science: Conservation & Restoration Ecology undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago. Currently, I am working with a graduate student to sort samples collected from Chicago Harbors and am learning about aquatic invasive invertebrate identification.

I'm a third-year Environmental Science major and Biostatistics minor at Loyola University Chicago! In the lab, I assist ongoing research by helping analyze collected samples from the Chicago River.

I am an undergraduate student helping Tava Oosterbaan with their microplastic research on crayfish. I have been performing dissections in the lab, preparing the samples to be dissolved in a highly concentrated peroxide solution, separating the organic material from the microplastics.

I am an undergraduate senior from Quito, Ecuador majoring on Environmental Policy with a minor in Biostatistics at Loyola University Chicago. In lab, I am helping Alex Quebbeman to sort samples collected this past summer from different harbors around the City of Chicago, which will then be used for species identification to determine the presence of non-native aquatic species. 

My name is Alyssa Olivera Cerpa and I am studying Environmental Science at Loyola University Chicago. My role for my first semester in the lab is to assist current research projects by helping with sample collection in the field and analysis back in the lab.