Fisheries Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics
FEED Lab
Jeffrey D. Plumlee
Assistant Professor
Department of Renewable Resources
Fisheries Specialist- Louisiana Sea Grant
Jeff Plumlee is a broadly trained marine ecologist that focuses on marine fisheries and the management of our living marine resources. He did his undergraduate and graduate studies at Texas A&M University in Galveston, TX working primarily on feeding ecology, focusing his studies on reef fishes and elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). He then completed his doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he broadly examined questions regarding the role that habitat plays to the secondary production of estuarine fish and invertebrates. Before he arrived at LSU, he did a one year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of South Alabama and Dauphin Island Sea Lab working broadly with long-term fishery-independent data on questions regarding the correlation between fishery recruitment and a changing climate.
O: (225) 578-4102
Meet the Lab
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Mallory Miller
Research Technician
Mallory Graduated May 2026 with a B.S. in Natural Resource Ecology and Management with a concentration in wildlife ecology and minors in oceanography and fisheries. She has been working in the lab since 2024. A Mallory has always enjoyed the outdoors and hopes to one day work in fisheries conservation and management.
Graduate Students
Parker Denton
Ph.D. Track
Parker completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. He has spent the past three years conducting research in the Florida Keys with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and the National Audubon Society, in that time becoming the first person to witness a Bonefish spawning aggregation in the US. His interests lie in fisheries ecology, movement ecology, and conservation. Outside of research, Parker enjoys fishing, working out, building custom rods, photography, and spending time with his dog. Parker is a three time IGFA world record holder.
Emily Hura
Ph.D. Track
Emily graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a B.S. in Marine Science as well as a minor in Human-Environment Geography in 2023. During her undergraduate work, she completed an honors thesis focused on juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) age and growth in North Inlet Estuary, SC. Her time both as a student and working as a fisheries observer at NOAA has formed her wide range of research interests. She is passionate about fish age and growth, habitat use, shifting fish assemblages, and sustainable fishing practices. She hopes her work can be used to inform fisheries management so that communities reliant on fishing can thrive for years to come. Outside of research, Emily enjoys fishing, playing the banjo, and beach combing.
Megan Myers
Ph.D. Track
Megan graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a B.S. in Marine Biology in 2021. After graduation, she worked for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission as a fisheries technician and later in fishing education. She then moved to a post-baccalaureate internship with the Bahr Lab at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi where she assisted with the NSF-funded Proton Flux Hypothesis project and conducted field work at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology in Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Megan is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Fisheries Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics Lab where her dissertation research is focused on understanding the risk of harmful phytoplankton to estuarine ecosystems. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, and spending time with her husband and three dogs.
Zach Kassuba
M.S. Track
Zach recently completed his B.S. in Conservation Biology at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, MI in 2024. His thesis work involves utilizing novel acoustic imaging as a tool to estimate oyster population dynamics and evaluating the suitability of oyster reefs as natural solutions to shoreline protection across the state of Louisiana. As a native of the Great Lakes region, Zach aspires to a career in international fisheries.
Emily Robicheaux
M.S. Track
Emily earned her B.S. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture from Mississippi State University in 2020. Her experiences as a NOAA Fisheries Observer and as the Lionfish Program Coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have influenced her research interests in community structure, movement ecology, and habitat use. Her thesis research is focused on evaluating fish assemblages and their habitat use patterns around living shorelines. She hopes to contribute to fisheries management for the long-term benefit of recreational and commercial fisheries.
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Owen Henderson
M.S. Track
Owen graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Natural Resource Ecology and Management with a concentration on fisheries and aquaculture in 2023. His project is currently focusing on Tripletail and Cobia diet through cloacal swabbing and fDNA analysis, along with collecting movement data through tagging. Owen contributes to the various lab projects through gear operation, maintenance, and applying his skillsets acquired in the commercial fishing industry and life as an avid waterman. Owen's experience at LSU has allowed him to participate in project design, data collection, and analysis for various research projects. Owen has a passionate connection with fisheries and aspires to use his skills for management and research.
Undergraduate Students
Katherine Patron
Katherine is an undergraduate student at Louisiana State University majoring in Applied Coastal & Environmental Science and planning to graduate in 2028. She became involved in the FEED Lab over the summer of 2025 through the LSU Gulf Scholars Program, where she worked alongside Zach Kassuba studying novel survey methods for estimating population size and demographics of reef-building bivalves in Louisiana estuaries. She is now assisting with ongoing projects in the lab. With a passion for marine biology, Katherine hopes to gain more knowledge and experience in fish ecology and gain a deeper understanding of coastal ecosystems.
Rose Dawes
Rose is an undergraduate pursuing a degree in Renewable Natural Resources with a concentration in Conservation Biology. She transferred to LSU from Baton Rouge Community College, where she earned an associates degree in computer science. Rose joined the FEED lab in Spring 2026, and is currently working on an undergraduate research project examining benthic community composition on created oyster reefs.
Jenna Moseley
Jenna is an undergraduate at Louisiana State University working towards a B.S. degree in Marine Biology and Wildlife Ecology with plans to graduate in 2027. She has been working in the lab since Spring 2026 assisting on a variety of projects. She hopes to attend graduate school in the future to continue learning about ecology and conservation.
Neal Geldenhuys
Neal is an undergraduate at LSU majoring in Renewable Natural Resources with a concentration in conservation biology with plans to graduate in 2027. As a student worker he can be found assisting in research both in the lab as well as the field. Neal grew up in South Africa and has always enjoyed the outdoors. He hopes to one day work in wildlife conservation and land restoration .
Previous Students
Bryce King
Bryce graduated with a B.S. in May 2025 with a degree in Renewable Natural Resources.
Madison Wray
Madison graduated in May 2026 with a degree in Renewable Natural Resources and two minors in Oceanography & Coastal Sciences and in Fisheries. She will be attending Texas A&M for her Master's.