Contact Information

Office Location: BESB 108
Email: Zachary.Mitchell@tamuk.edu
Phone:361-593-3838
CV: Download CV (PDF)
Research Profile: ResearchGate

About Dr. Mitchell

Dr. Zachary Mitchell is an aquatic ecologist whose research tests ecological theory to better understand the patterns and processes shaping species distributions and community structure in freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. His lab investigates how individual, population, and community-level responses vary across spatial and temporal scales, with the ultimate goal of informing effective conservation and management strategies.

Education

• Ph.D., Aquatic Resources/Ecology — Texas State University
• M.S., Biological Sciences — Eastern Illinois University
• B.S., Wildlife and Fisheries Science — Mississippi State University

Research Interests & Current Projects

Research in the Mitchell Lab uses a variety of approaches—including field surveys, lab experiments, ecological modeling, and meta-analyses—to explore a wide variety of topics such as:

• Fisheries management
• Drought impacts on fish survival
• Thermal tolerance of native species
• Freshwater inflow effects on estuarine recruitment
• Freshwater mussel ecology
• Distribution and habitat needs of data-deficient crayfish in Texas

Courses Taught

• BIOL 1307: General Biology II
• BIOL 2401: Human Anatomy & Physiology II
• BIOL 4431: Ichthyology
• BIOL 4410: Marine Ecology (Topics in Biology, Fall 2025)
• BIOL 5302: Marine Ecology (Advanced Topics in Biology,  Fall 2025)

Mentorship & Student Opportunities

Dr. Mitchell actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students in applied ecological research that connects science to real-world environmental challenges. Students in his lab gain hands-on experience in field and lab-based techniques, data analysis, and ecological communication—skills highly sought in careers in conservation, research, and environmental consulting.