I have available a 2-3 year graduate assistantship in my lab at the

University of Oklahoma, funded by work on a stream restoration project in

northeast Oklahoma. This is a 12 month appointment, suitable to support

an MS student or the work could be part of a PhD thesis. The project

involves construction of a remediation wetland by a colleague in our

College of Engineering, to remove metal pollution from underground

lead/zinc mines, and alleviate related problems re. flow into the Tar

Creek system in Ottawa County (north of Miami, Oklahoma). At present,

heavily metal-charged water emerging from bore holes creates a substantial

impact on a small tributary of Tar Creek and on the main creek itself. As

the constructed wetland comes on line (about a year from now) the quality

of water in the trib is predicted to improve. My part of the project is

to evaluate the existing fish communities above, in, below the impacted

area before and after the wetland comes on line, and to also put this in

the context of other reference sites on creeks outside the Tar watershed.

We have done preliminary sampling to identify sites and assess general

condition of fish assemblages. The student selected for the project will

need to know fish, and be capable of independent field and lab work,

directing work of a couple of field technicians, and, very importantly,

interacting well with the rural landowners (mostly small farmers) by whose

permission we go on their land to collect fish. (You know what I

mean.)..... So, if you have a good student interested in working on an MS

or PhD, please pass this along to them, or let me know about them. Hope

this finds all of you well in the New Year.

Best wishes, and thanks,

Bill Matthews

Department of Zoology

University of Oklahoma

730 Van Vleet Oval

Norman, OK 73019

405-32506200