Southeastern science professor, students involved in research project

Press Release Date: 03-01-2010

DURANT, Okla. – Dr. Tim Patton, associate professor in the Dept. of Biological Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, has recently returned from New Mexico where he conducted field work.

Patton's project involves the analysis of channel catfish diets in the San Juan River in New Mexico.

"The goal of the project is to determine the diet of channel catfish in the San Juan River in New Mexico and Utah, with much of the study site encompassed by Navajo Nation lands," Patton said. "This project is funded by the U.S . Bureau of Reclamation, and I am collaborating with BOR Research Scientist Mark McKinstry and Navajo Nation Fisheries Biologist James Morel."

Morel is a graduate of the Conservation program at Southeastern (2007) and is completing his MS degree in Fisheries and Wildlife at New Mexico State University.

According to Patton, channel catfish are not native to the San Juan River, but were introduced there perhaps as early as the late 19th Century. There is concern, he said, about the effects that the non-native catfish may be having on native fishes in the system, including the federally endangered Colorado pikeminnow.

"One of the major challenges is that food parts digest quickly in catfish stomachs, so, while we find whole fish in the stomachs, it is more likely that we will find fish parts, especially hard parts that are not digestible," Patton said. "Consequently, we are focusing on finding teeth in the stomachs that enable us to identify which species of fish may be consumed by the catfish. It is tedious work, and requires a lot of time at the microscope and knowledge about fish anatomy."

To assist in the process, Patton has employed two of his students – Joey Dyer and Chris Cheek – whose positions are funded by the grant. Several other students are volunteering their time.

"The field work involves electrofishing for catfish seasonally -- spring, summer, fall, and winter," Patton noted. "We collected one sample as a pilot study in September 2009, and recently completed a winter sample in February. To date, we have collected about 450 catfish for analysis, and will continue sampling through 2010. Ultimately, we plan to look at the contents of about 1,000 catfish stomachs, so it's a fairly monumental project."

Patton also said that he will incorporate some of this work into a class that he is teaching in the summer of 2010, "Western River Ecology. " The class will spend about 10 days rafting and sampling on the San Juan River and learning all about its ecology and management.

"It's a great opportunity to employ students, incorporate individual students as well as a class into a research project, and hopefully have some impact on the conservation of the San Juan River and its fishes," Patton said.