Noah Bressman Describes His Work with Fishes that Walk On Land
We often use the term fish out of water to describe someone whose completely out of their element. But believe it or not, many fish have evolved with the biology, cues, and behaviors needed to move onto land and survive for long periods of time, when necessary.
My guest today, Dr. Noah Bressman, is an avid fisherman, artist, blogger, and Assistant Professor of Physiology at Salisbury University in Maryland. Noah has studied a number of these so-called amphibious fishes – some of which are invasive – for many years. Join us, as Noah explains just how they do it – and why!
BIO:
After graduating from Cornell University in 2016 with a BS in biology and a concentration in marine biology, Noah began his PhD in biology at Wake Forest University in Dr. Miriam Ashley-Ross' lab where he concentrated on amphibious behaviors of invasive fish species, such as Northern Snakeheads and Walking Catfish. After receiving his PhD in May 2020, Noah immediately started as postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Doug Fudge's lab at Chapman University, where he studied the biomechanical properties of hagfish slime to see how it could be used to help people, such to safely and sustainably stop boat propellers at high speeds. In the summer of 2021, Noah joined the biology department at Salisbury University as an Assistant Professor of Physiology on the eastern shore of Maryland. His research interests include fish biology, functional morphology, biomechanics, and behavior, with a special focus on recreationally-important fish species and how amphibious fishes navigate terrestrial environments. In addition to being a scientist, Noah is an artist who uses photography, Photoshop, and a biochemical technique called clearing and staining to create skeletal images of vertebrates. He is also a competitive fisherman on a mission to catch every species of fish (currently at 442!) and a scientific blogger for the journal Integrative Organismal Biology, Integrative and Comparative Biology, The Company of Biologists through Outside JEB, and the Discovery Channel TV show, A Fishing Story.