People | Carnivore and Population Ecology Lab | Mississippi State University

Dana J. Morin

Dana J. Morin
Links: Google Scholar | Research Gate

I am an applied population ecologist. My research interests can be broadly described as the intersection and scaling of spatial ecology, population processes, and community dynamics. I use a variety of sampling and quantitative methods to provide information that will best inform future management and conservation actions. Generally, I study carnivore populations and communities and have an applied interest in managing human-wildlife interactions – connecting conservation to coexistence. But I enjoy developing quantitative approaches for answering interesting questions about any taxa, including small mammal communities in a changing fire regime in southern California, and assessing recovery efforts for pinto abalone in the Puget Sound (https://crosscut.com/2019/06/why-it-wasnt-enough-just-leave-pinto-abalone-alone).

Note to prospective students:

I am a quantitative ecologist. I expect that graduate students in my lab will have a strong desire to work to learn, and possibly develop, new quantitative methods to answer difficult questions about animal populations, both under my direction and independently. Ecology is a study of patterns and relationships, and these are described and quantified using math.

Researchers and Staff

Jackson McCommon
Research Technician

Jackson is a recent graduate from the MSU College of Forest Resources majoring in Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture with a concentration in Human-Wildlife Interactions. He began working with our lab as a field technician on the deer density and population study lead by Nathan Todt. Jackson is now a Research Technician assisting on the lab and field portions of multiple projects lead by other members of our team.

Anthony Seveque Anthony Sévêque
Postdoctoral Associate

Anthony is a postdoctoral researcher broadly interested in mammal conservation, and a strong advocate of evidence-based decision making that promotes human–wildlife coexistence. He is currently developing Close-Kin Mark-Recapture models to monitor Michigan black bear populations using genetic sampling. This project is in collaboration with Michigan DNR, Dr. Robert Lonsinger (US Geological Survey), Dr. Lisette Waits (University of Idaho), and Dr. Kristin Brzeski. Learn more about the project: Michigan black bear CKMR project.

Nathan Todt
Research Associate

Nathan is a research associate who leads a project assessing impacts of flooding and CWD on deer populations in Mississippi in collaboration with MDWFP, and assists managing the CaPEL lab. His interest in non-invasive data collection, genetics, and the opportunity to study in the bottomland hardwood forests of the Delta and Appalachian foothills of northern Mississippi attracted him to the project. Learn more about the project: Deer Density and Impacts of CWD and Flooding project.

Graduate Students

Lacy Dolan
Ph.D. Student

Lacy is investigating factors that may limit the recolonization of black bears in Mississippi. She is using non-invasive genetic sampling with landscape and population genetic techniques to understand dispersal and genetic variation, stable isotope analysis to assess diet and the role of anthropogenic foods, and geometric morphometrics to identify possible adaptations to a diet consisting of anthropogenic foods. Lacy’s research is in collaboration with Dr. Elizabeth Flaherty (Purdue University), Dr. Joe Clark (USGS), Dr. Don White (University of Arkansas Monitcello), and Richard Rummel and MDWFP. Learn more about the project: MS black bear project.

Varsha Samba Shastry
Ph.D. Student

Varsha is a Ph.D. student with interest in applications of quantitative ecology for better understanding of animal population dynamics and conservation. She is co-advised with Dr. Mike Conner, the Jones Center at Ichauway, on a long term small mammal capture-recapture data set. The project is in collaboration with Drs. Jay Diffendorfer and Andy Royle (USGS).

Daniela Adjaye
M.S. Student

Daniela is a master’s student with strong interests in the applications of non-invasive sampling and molecular techniques to answer questions on cryptic species distributions and the presence of pathogens of public health concerns in wildlife and the environment. Daniela’s research is in collaboration with Dr John Brooks (USDA ARS in Starkville), Dr Stephen Spears (USGS), and Geriann Albers (Indiana DNR), Dr. Eric Hileman (WFA MSU), and the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Learn more about the projects: Noninvasive Genetic Sampling project; Advancing Agricultural Research through High-Performance Computing project; eDNA for Weasels and Shrews project.

Chloe Beall
M.S. Student

Chloe joined the lab as a graduate research assistant in January 2022 and will be using non-invasive genetics to study swamp rabbit populations as an indicator species for bottomland hardwood forest silviculture treatments. She is co-advised with Dr. Mark McConnell.

Spencer Daniels
Undergraduate Research Scholar

Spencer is an undergraduate student in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science. He joined the lab as a research technician for the deer density project and is currently working to assist the lab wherever possible.