Biology Department
5 Cummington St.
Boston, MA 02215
schwartz@bu.edu
Office: 617-353-6969
Lab: 617-353-6965
Fax: 617-353-6340
In Woods Hole
7 MBL St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Office: 508-289-7574
Fax: 508-289-7950

Education

BA Environmental Biology. State University of New York at New Paltz, 1996

MS Environmental Biology. Antioch University, 1998

PhD Biology. Boston University, 2002 (expected)

Professional Positions

1999-pres.	Laboratory coordinator, The Kaufman Laboratory. Boston and Woods Hole, MA.
1998-pres.	Assistant to the Taxonomist, Harvard Museum of Comp. Zoology, Ichthyology Dep. Cambridge, MA.
1998	Field Biologist & Field Coordinator, The USFWS. Concord, NH.
1997-1998	Field Biologist, The Loon Preservation Committee. Moultonborough, NH.
1996-1997	Aquatic Toxicologist, EnviroSystems Inc. Hampton Falls, NH.

Teaching Positions

1998-Pres.	Teaching Fellow, Boston University Biology Dept. Boston, MA. Courses:  Aquatic Biodiversity, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy,  Ichthyology, and Marine Biology.
1997-1998	Adjunct Professor, Notre Dame College. Manchester, NH. Courses: Principles of Ecology, Exploring Earth and Life through Time, Botany, The Environment; Our Impact and Our Responsibility, Introduction to Earth Science.
1997	Teaching Assistant, Stone Environmental School. Harrison, ME. Courses: The Ecology of the Everglades.

Recent Consultancies and Assistantships

2001	To assist with the development of fishery models and management recommendations for the California nearshore system.  The Nearshore Data Group in cooperation with the California Dep. Fish and Game and the University of California Davis.
2000	To assist in the revision of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) Management Plan. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via the SBNMS. Scituate, MA.
2000	To develop an internet technology based experiment in trophic ecology, and conservation biology addressing the relationship between climate change, reef fish communities, and coral reef conservation. Columbia University and the Biosphere2 Research Center. Tucson, AZ.
2000	To assist in investigating the affects of bottom fishing on benthic communities in the Gulf of Maine. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via the SBNMS. Scituate, MA.
1999	To investigate the bio-accumulation of methylmercury in bats from Maine, and its use as an indicator of mercury distribution. Biodiversity Inc. (BDI). Freeport, ME.
1998	To investigate the affects of mercury on the predator avoidance of Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, in New Hampshire lakes. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Concord, NH.

Selected Reviewed and Technical Publications

Schwartz, J.D.M., Pallin, M.J., Michener, R.H., Ogutu-Ohwayo, R., and Kaufman, L.S. (in prep) The lake Kyoga satellite system: a model of lost diversity in Lake Victoria?

Kaufman L.S. and Schwartz, J.D.M. (in press) A dynamic modeling approach for Nile perch, Lates niloticus, in Lake Victoria; Implications for conservation and management. In: Modeling Dynamic Fishery Systems. Springer-Verlag, NY.

Schwartz, J.D.M. (2000) Biological diversity in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. In: The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan. NOAA, Silver Springs, MD.

Schwartz, J.D. (1998) The Effects of Mercury On the Swimming Behavior of Non-Larval Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, in Southeastern, New Hampshire. MS Thesis: Antioch University. Keene, New Hampshire.

Schwartz, J.D.M. (1996) Biogeography of the Clear Creek watershed amphibia, Newmarket, NH. The Nature Conservancy, Concord, NH.

Recent Meetings and Presentations

Schwartz, J.D.M., Ojwang, W., and Kaufman, L.S. (2001) The Effects of Nile Perch, Lates niloticus, on functional diversity in the lake Kyoga satellite system, Uganda. Presented to the Society for Conservation Biology annual meeting in Hilo, HI, July 29-August 1.

Schwartz, J.D.M. and Kaufman, L.S. (2000) Mechanistic Models and Community Ecology. Presented at the General Scientific Meetings of the Marine Biological Laboratory, August 14-16. Woods Hole, MA.

Kaufman, L.S. and Schwartz, J.D.M (2000) The Future of Fisheries and Fisheries Research on Lake Victoria.  Presented at the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization's International Convention on Lake Victoria, May 16-19. Jinja, Uganda.

Recent Grants and Support

2001	MIT Sea Grant, $7000 to study culture induced derangements of the feeding mechanism in Tautog, Tautoga onitis (with Les Kaufman).
2001	Packard Foundation, stipend to assist in the assessment, modeling, and management of the California nearshore ecosystem.
2000-2001	Biosphere2, $14, 000 and $16,000 to investigate the relationship between the coral community, fish assemblage, and global climate change in the Biosphere2 oceanarium (with Les Kaufman).
2000	Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, $1000 to assist in the revision of the sanctuary management plan (PI)
2000	Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, $1500 to describe the current status of research into biological diversity in the sanctuary (PI).
1999, 2000	Tetra/Secondnature, $3000 in-kind contributions of aquaculture supplies for the study of marine and freshwater fishes (PI).
1999	Anonymous, $1500 in-kind donation to aid in the study of Lake Victoria fisheries (PI).
1999	Marineland Inc., $15,000 in-kind contributions of aquaria and supplies for aquatic research (with Dr. Kaufman).
1998	USFWS & State of New Hampshire (Fish & Game and Public Health), $13,000 mixed in-kind and hard funds for determining the effects of mercury upon the predator evading abilities of yellow perch (PI).

Professional Affiliations

Society for Conservation Biology

Ecological Society of America

Students Supervised and Assisted

At Boston University;

Alpa Pattel and Michelle Monette (2000) Skeletal plasticity of teleost fish: Lessons from diet induced morphological shifts in a Lake Victoria cichlid. Senior Thesis and Work for Distinction.

Kristen Agar (2000) Otolith analysis of daily growth increments in Lake Victoria Haplochromine cichlids. Undergraduate Research.

Pamela Woods (2001) Bioaccoustics, plasticity and speciation of Lake Victoria cichlids. Senior Thesis and Work for Distinction.

Sarah Wingert (2001) The heritability and natural variance of metabolism in Lake Victoria haplochromine cichlids. Senior Thesis.

Taylor Chapple (2001) The affects of prey type and evasion tactics on the cost of prey capture; lessons from Nile perch, Lates niloticus.  Senior Thesis.

Jade Williams (2001) Reticulate evolution and niche segregation in Lake Victoria cichlids; evidence from the ram-suction index of a hybrid and its parents. Senior Thesis.

Edmundo Perez (2001: assisted) The functional role of Loco, Concholepas concholepas, in the Chilean intertidal system. M.S.

Research Interests

VIEW MY THESE PROSPECTUS HERE

Aquatic Conservation:

Throughout the world our aquatic organisms are threatened by human development and exploitation. Africa and South America hold much of this planets biological diversity, and the majority of its unexplored life forms. The biological, economic, and social benefits of species conservation are well known, but these continents are also home to much of the world's poverty and starvation. Achieving strategic conservation goals in the face of resource-based economic hardship can only occur through adaptive comanagement practices that benefit all of the resource stakeholders. These adaptive processes are truly experimental in nature, and recognize the specificity of whole system management. The interplay of social/socioeconomic, environmental, and biological processes must be considered. As a general approach I consider education and training; the development of adequate preserves and multi-use areas; the development of comanagement structure, the development of facilities; and the furthering of ecological, fishery, and management research as equally important objectives. In Africa and North and South America I am currently involved in the development of whole system fishery models which incorporate biological and socio-economic functions. I see the modeling process itself as a template and motivator for aquatic conservation.

Theoretical Ecology:

For decades ecologists have relied heavily upon Malthusian equations to describe growth and species interactions. These models have repeatedly failed to be predictive of community dynamics, and I propose that this is a result of the inexplicit nature of the Malthusian multiplier. Although many "mechanistic" community models have been developed, most attempts borrow input parameters from other systems and oversimplify biological and spatial processes. I am interested in developing system and spatially specific mechanistic models of population and community dynamics as predictive applied and theoretical tools. My work with Dr. Les Kaufman in Lake Victoria, East Africa; Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Maine, US; and the nearshore ecosystem of California are all attempts at developing system specific models for theoretical and management analysis. The beginning of our research makes several points clear;

1)    That diversity greatly affects the function and functional role of communities

2)    That ecosystem function is intimately linked to many scales of diversity (i.e. specific, ecological, metabolic, morphological, and phenotypic diversity).

3)    That within system specific and functional diversity are correlated.

and

4)    That the sustained extraction of natural resources is dependant upon its mediation and the preservation of diversity at its many scales.

Ecology Online:

In Biosphere2 we are investigating the relationship between global climate change, fish diversity, and coral conservation. Our format will be the first ecology experiment conducted to a great extent over the internet. We will use this research process as an educational opportunity for college and high school students around the world. In addition, conducting the research online will allow the worlds experts to collaborate in real time on a project without leaving their laboratories.

To learn more, choose Projects from the menu above.

References: Available upon request.