Current areas of focus include diverse aspects of the biology and ecology of fishes, including physiology, evolution, genetics, molecular ecology, energetics, culture and conservation. Graduate students interested in the biology and ecology of fishes find diverse and exciting opportunities for research at UNCW. Our location in southeastern North Carolina is proximal to a variety of aquatic habitats (riverine, saltmarsh, estuarine, marine pelagic, sandy bottom, reef and gulf stream) supporting highly diverse assemblages of marine and freshwater fishes. Field research is facilitated by a mild ‘year-round' climate and an excellent research fleet including vessels from 16' to 70' which enable researchers to access all major coastal and estuarine habitats.

Seawater facilities and wet laboratories located at the Center for Marine Science provide opportunities for experimental fish research. The Department of Biology and Marine Biology also maintains a diverse museum collection of fishes for research and education purposes. The collections include representative species from all major aquatic habitats in the southeastern U.S.