Dr. David L. Strayer

Freshwater Ecologist | PhD, 1984, Cornell University

Expertise
Hudson River, invasive species, streams

Email Download CV
  • Profile
  • Past Projects
  • Publications

Dave Strayer is a freshwater ecologist whose current work focuses on measuring the long-term effects of zebra mussels on the Hudson River ecosystem, and understanding the roles of suspension-feeding animals in ecosystems. Strayer also works on broader issues in freshwater conservation ecology and invasion biology.

Species introductions are one of the most important ways by which humans affect the Earth’s ecosystems. Strayer has been involved in much research in this area, particularly regarding the zebra mussel. This tiny bivalve arrived in North America from Europe in the 1980s and has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage and widespread ecological change.

Water clarity, water chemistry, food webs, and populations of native species, including fish, in the Hudson River all changed after zebra mussels arrived. Now, decades after their first appearance, Strayer and Cary scientists see evidence of fundamental long-term changes in the relationship between the river and the invader. The Cary group has been tracking this changing relationship for almost 30 years, providing one of the longest and most detailed case studies in invasion ecology.

Strayer also works on the ecology and conservation of native pearly mussels, a highly diverse and imperiled group of animals. He wrote Freshwater Mussel Ecology: A Multifactor Approach to Distribution and Abundance.

Zebra mussels and pearly mussels are examples of suspension-feeders – animals that feed by removing tiny particles from the water. These animals can have large, pervasive effects on aquatic ecosystems.  Strayer is currently working to synthesize information and understanding of freshwater suspension-feeders across a wide range of species and ecosystems.

In addition to his scientific publications, Strayer has written several dozen essays for the general public, which are collected in The Lost Snail of the Yangtze and Other Essays.

The benthic animals of the freshwater tidal Hudson River before invasion by the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha
Strayer, David L. 1991. “The Benthic Animals of the Freshwater Tidal Hudson River before Invasion by the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha”. Dreissena polymorpha Inform. Rev.
Gastrotricha (1991)
Strayer, David L., and W.D. Hummon. 1991. “Gastrotricha (1991)”. In J. H. Thorp and A. P. Covich (eds.). Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates, 177-89. Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, Florida.
Projected distribution of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, in North America
Strayer, David L. 1991. “Projected Distribution of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, in North America”. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 48: 1389-95.
Recent collections of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from western New York
Strayer, David L., K.J. Jirka, and K.J. Schneider. 1991. “Recent Collections of Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from Western New York”. Walkerana 5: 63-72.
Freshwater Mollusca
Strayer, David L. 1990. “Freshwater Mollusca”. In B. L. Peckarsky, P. R. Fraissinet, M. A. Penton, and D. J. Conklin. Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America, 335-72. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.
Aquatic Oligochaeta
Strayer, David L. 1990. “Aquatic Oligochaeta”. In B. L. Peckarsky, P. R. Fraissinet, M. A. Penton, and D. J. Conklin. Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America, 373-97. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.
A detailed carbon budget as an ecosystem-level calibration of bacterial respiration in an oligotrophic lake during mid-summer
Cole, Jonathan J., Nina F. Caraco, David L. Strayer, C. A. Ochs, and S.S. Nolan. 1989. “A Detailed Carbon Budget As an Ecosystem-Level Calibration of Bacterial Respiration in an Oligotrophic Lake During Mid-Summer”. Limnol. Oceanogr. 34: 286-96.
What are the tradeoffs between the immediacy of management needs and the longer process of scientific discovery?
McAninch, J. B., and David L. Strayer. 1989. “What Are the Tradeoffs Between the Immediacy of Management Needs and the Longer Process of Scientific Discovery?”. In G. E. Likens (ed.). Long-Term Studies in Ecology: Approaches and Alternatives, 203-5. Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
Minor taxa (1989)
Strayer, David L. 1989. “Minor Taxa (1989)”. D. W. Webb (ed.). Annual and Selected Bibliography of Benthic Biology for 1988. North American Benthological Society, Champaign, Illinois.
Modelling carbon flow in Tivoli South Bay, Hudson River, NY
Findlay, Stuart E. G., K. E. Limburg, and David L. Strayer. 1988. “Modelling Carbon Flow in Tivoli South Bay, Hudson River, NY”. J. R. Waldman and E. A. Blair (eds.). Polgar Fellowship Reports of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve Program, 1987. Hudson River Foundation, New York, New York.