In January, Jim Lamer joined the Illinois Natural History Survey as a large river ecologist and director of the Illinois River Biological Station in Havana.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. at Western Illinois University, evaluating the genetic structure of red-eared slider populations in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. During this time, he had his first exposure to INHS, working at the Great Rivers Field Station as a technician for seven years and participating in a variety of sampling, including water quality, herpetofauna, fisheries, aquatic vegetation, macroinvertebrate, and Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP) monitoring. Jim then spent almost 12 years as the manager of the Kibbe Biological Research Station, where he was heavily involved in river research, graduate student mentoring, and teaching.
Jim completed his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences program in 2015 under Greg Sass and John Epifanio. His research evaluated the extent and effects of bighead carp and silver carp hybridization in the Mississippi River System.
He enjoys spending time on or in the water, fishing, hunting, and spending time with his wife and two boys. Jim is based at the Illinois River Biological Station, 704 N Schrader Ave, Havana, and can be reached by email at lamer@illinois.edu or by phone at 309-543-6000.