Nicholls research brings awareness to garfish

For a handful of Nicholls State University graduate students, much of their lives center around studying the prehistoric garfish.

Under the guiding hand of their fish enthusiast professor, Solomon David, the three graduate students are often on the bayou securing samples thanks to Louisiana's large supply.

Compared to his time studying gar in Michigan, he said, "being down here, it's like a fishy heaven if you will. There's gars everywhere."

With David's background in gar research and the fish's strong local presence, his research lab has been dubbed the first physical version of Gar Lab. The name also exists as a popular hashtag in science Twitter circles as a way to highlight the understudied species as well as the value of freshwater biodiversity.

That name, #GarLab, was created by David when he pursued his master's thesis at the University of Michigan about 10 years ago, and it's followed him since.

He credited Nicholls State University professors Allyse Ferrara and Quenton Fontenot for their history in studying gar and willingness to send him the fish for projects when he was in graduate school.

In his third year as a professor, David will have his first class of #GarLab graduates next semester.

Graduate student Sarah Fontana, who's entering her second year, is looking at how the development of a spotted gar raised in captivity outside of the normal spawning season compares to one growing in the wild.

Her research aims to help with raising the fish for biomedical research.

Thea Fredrickson, also entering her second year, is researching whether other analyses can be used on fish that would pave the way for nonlethal sampling methods, helping to conserve the fish.

Another project is looking at gar to understand how the changes to the Mississippi River's system with levees can affect the organisms living in the floodplain.

David said the goal of the lab is more than research but also to teach students how to be effective communicators within the science community and to the public.

Outside of gar, science communication is his second passion.

"I think it's important that they're able to explain," he said, showing his students how to use social media and etiquette rules.

Frederickson, who studied in California for her undergraduate degree, said she was interested in expanding research on the understudied gar.

"I really like gar," she said. "They are the weirdest fish, especially alligator gar."

The alligator gar is a monstrous fish that can weigh more than 300 pounds.

Though Frederickson doesn't have plans to limit herself to gar, she said she feels like the program has a lot of facets that are valuable and she enjoys the variety.

David said the program aims to equip its students with skills for a range of paths, from working for nonprofit to a government agency.

"We're training you to be a scientist, not a gar scientist or even a fish scientist," he said. "We try to connect them with the right tools for their interest."