Thomas Detmer

Senior Research Associate, Natural Resources and the Environment Section

About

Thomas “Tommy” Detmer obtained his BA and PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is currently a Senior Research Associate associated with the Adirondack Fisheries Research Program.

Tommy is a broadly trained aquatic ecologist whose research is primarily focused on promoting healthy aquatic ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. Tommy has experience working in a variety of ecosystems including reservoirs, lakes, and streams. In addition, he has a strong interest in laboratory experimental work and modeling as ways to explore underlying mechanisms of field observations. Questions he is focused on relate to the roles of invasive species, climate change, and habitat (both artificial and natural) as they relate to food web structure and function and fisheries.

Tommy also enjoys working with students of all ages and stakeholders who are interested in exploring and protecting aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. Tommy’s overall goal is to contribute to sustainable conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems through research, outreach, and teaching.

Education

University of Colorado, Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, December 2014
University of Colorado, B.A., majors in 1) Environmental Studies, 2) Ecology and 3) Evolutionary Biology, and Geography, summa cum laude, May 2008

Recent Research

Selected Publications

Rhoades, C. C., McCutchan, J. H., Cooper, L. A., Clow, D., Detmer, T. M., Briggs, J. S., ... & Lewis, W. M. (2013). Biogeochemistry of beetle-killed forests: Explaining a weak nitrate response. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(5), 1756-1760.
Detmer, T. M., McCutchan Jr, J. H., & Lewis Jr, W. M. (2017). Predator driven changes in prey size distribution stabilize secondary production in lacustrine food webs. Limnology and Oceanography, 62(2), 592-605.
Detmer, T., McCutchan Jr, J. H., & Lewis Jr, W. M. (2017). Trophic interactions across lake–stream boundaries in mountain lakes. Inland Waters, 7(4), 440-448.
Detmer, T. M. (2019). Zooplankton nearshore compared to offshore in historically fishless lakes of high elevation are influenced by the introduction of planktivorous fish and water residence time. Journal of Plankton Research, 41(2), 154-164.

Contact Information

Adirondack Fisheries Research Program Field Station, Adirondack League Club, 221 Little Moose, Old Forge, NY 13420
Fernow Hall G08
Ithaca, NY 14853

(315) 369-6781

td389 [at] cornell.edu

Thomas in the news

Two people sit in a boat on an Adirondack Lake

News

May 23, 2022

Brook trout hook for Cornell climate change research and extension outreach

In 1975, New York officially recognized the brook trout as the state fish. A favorite of anglers and a symbol of the pristine upstate wilderness, this species also contributes to New York state’s annual $2 billion freshwater fishing industry...

Cornell Cooperative Extension
Little Moose Field Station
Natural Resources and the Environment Section