Research Focus

My main research focus has been on the behavioral ecology on convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata). This is a freshwater tropical fish found from Guatemala to Panama. Although my on-campus lab is currently not active, I am still doing some field research with students on this model species in Costa Rica.

Furthermore, emeritus faculty Dr. Hsiu-ping Liu and I are continuing the process of analyzing data and writing a paper on a genetics study to determine the prevalence of social monogamy in a natural population of convict cichlids and to determine which sex exhibits extra-pair mating more often. This research was conducted with two student field researchers and four student genetics lab researchers.

I have also been working on a garter snake field study since 2010. Currently, we are writing a paper that suggests that Thamnophis elegans and Thamnophis radix are partitioning the habitat since T. elegans is found closer to water compared to T. radix.

Dr. Jennifer Gagliardi-Seeley hiking in the field.

Biography

Academic Background

In 1998, I earned my B.S. in Biology with a minor in Marine Science from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. After doing an internship on dolphin communication at the Living Seas in Epcot, I decided to further my degree in animal behavior. In 2007, I earned my Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Although my degree was in Integrative Biology, I consider myself a behavioral ecologist as my dissertation focused on aggression, pair-bond formation, and parental care in the convict cichlid fish.

Hobbies

I love the outdoors and being in nature. Activities I enjoy are playing table tennis, hiking, swimming, and camping. In addition to the outdoors, I love to see live music and dancing. I really enjoy doing these hobbies while traveling, especially internationally.

Fun Field Courses with Dr. Gagliardi-Seeley

A group of twenty MSU Denver students and faculty in Costa Rica, as part of the Tropical Field Biology course.

Costa Rica - January 2023

BIO 400C: Tropical Field Biology

 

I have co-taught this course with Dr. Christy Carello (usually once a year in January) since 2011. This course is a study abroad course that spends 11 days in Costa Rica learning the flora and fauna in different ecosystems throughout the country. It consists of in-field lectures, hiking through different ecosystems, mist-netting birds, night hikes, mist-netting bats, planting mangrove trees, turtle conservation, sustainable farming, sustainable energy, mangrove boat tours, and snorkeling tours.

BIO 4210: Principles of Wildlife Biology & Management

 

I taught this class for the first time in the summer of 2022 and it was a blast! This course includes a pre- and post-departure lecture learning about the history and current practices of wildlife biology & management. In addition to the lecture, we spend 8 days in the field in national parks, most often Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. In the field, we do hikes and drives to identify wildlife, observe wolf/elk interaction, disease in bison, observe water issues, and remanence of fire ecology. The course includes talks with rangers, designing a research project, and collecting preliminary data.

Dr. Jennifer Gagliardi-Seeley's Wildlife Biology students at Murie Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

Murie Ranch in Grant Teton National Park - Summer 2022

Notable Publications

Leiser JK, Gagliardi JL, and Itzkowitz M. 2004.  Does size matter? Assessment and fighting in small and large size-matched pairs of adult male convict cichlids. J. of Fish Biol. 64 (5): 1339-1350.

Gagliardi-Seeley J and Itzkowitz M. 2006. Male size predicts the ability to defend offspring in the biparental convict cichlid Archocentrus nigrofasciatus.  J of Fish Biol. 69 (4): 1239-1244.

Gagliardi-Seeley J.  Leese J, Santangelo N, and Itzkowitz M. 2009.  Mate choice in female convict cichlids  (Amatitilania nigrofasciata) and the relationship between male size and dominance.  J. of Ethol. 27: 249-254.

Gagliardi-Seeley J and Itzkowitz M. 2009.  Does being paired give malae and female convict cichlids (Amatitilania nigrofasciata) an advantage when competing against same-sex individuals?  Acta Ethol. 12:115-120.

Gagliardi-Seeley J.  2012.  Dominance status reversal on pair-bond formation in the convict cichlid (Amatitilania nigrofasciata). J. of Ethol.  30: 317-323.

 

 

Gangloff E, Bertolatus D, Reigel C, and Gagliardi-Seeley J.  2014.  Effects of sex, environment, and condition on the musking behavior of sympatric garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.).  J. of N. Amer. Herp.  2014 (1): 40-46.

Leiser JK, Gagliardi-Seeley JL, Wisenden BD, and Itzkowitz M.  2015. Mating patterns of female Leon Springs pupfish Cyprinodon bovinus.  J. of Fish Biol. 87 (3): 604-615.

Gangloff EJ, Reding DM, Bertolatus D, Reigel CJ, Gagliardi-Seeley J, and Bronikowski AM. 2017. Snakes in the City: Populations structure of sympatric garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.) in an urban landscape.  Herp. Cons. and Biol.  12(2): 509-521.

Gagliardi-Seeley J., Bakker A., Burke M., Glenn M., and Herrin A. 2021. Male procurement of breeding site is valued over male size by monogamous female convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata).  J. of Ethol. 39:259 – 263.

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