Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point

About CBFS

For more than 60 years, the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point (CBFS) has addressed issues of changing ecosystems within the lakes of New York state and beyond.

We collaborate with local and global groups to explore the effects of invasive species and climate change and the effects on aquatic ecosystems and strive to provide an exciting, inviting and collegial working and learning environment for all.

3 people kneeling on a beach looking at nets

Meet Angelica Melero

Angelica Melero, a Cornell University Senior, was the recipient of the 2025 Forney Fellowship. Angelica’s project examined how Round Goby behavior differs between populations that have been established for a long time (Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario) and populations that have recently invaded (Seneca Lake). Behavioral differences might explain why some Round Goby leave to invade new areas rather than remain in established areas. Round Goby that are more exploratory, less social, and more active were expected to be more common in the population that had more recently invaded. With the help of CBFS staff and interns and SUNY Oswego interns, Angelica collected Round Goby from the field and brought them back to the Cornell Biological Field Station to conduct behavioral experiments. Angelica found that exploratory behaviors were more variable in populations that were more established than in those that were more recently invaded. This aligns with other scientific studies that show that long-established populations contain a wider variety of behaviors among individuals. Angelica is continuing to review videos from her summer experiments and work on data analysis this year at Cornell for her Honors Thesis.

Make a gift

Our Mission Statement: To conduct research in fisheries and aquatic ecology in New York State with a focus on Oneida Lake, the Great Lakes and other NYS inland lakes. To support the educational, outreach and extension programs of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (DNRE), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell University.

Support the station

Your gift to the Cornell Biological Field Station helps us provide unparalleled access to and collaboration with outstanding faculty and staff, and provide students with relevant, immersive learning opportunities, including the continuation of our summer undergraduate research program. This program offers exciting opportunities for students to collaborate on research with mentor scientists conducting ecological investigations in a wide variety of ecosystems.

Donate to the CBFS Fund