Research in the Albert lab explores the spectacular diversity of fishes in tropical South and Central America. The Neotropical ichthyofauna is among the most diverse aquatic ecosystems on Earth, with more than 5,600 species representing about 10% all living vertebrate species. 

Projects involve collecting expeditions to remote field localities, descriptions of species new to science, comparative osteology, and phylogenetic analyses of genetic and morphological data.

Results contribute to the documentation of aquatic biodiversity, the production of predictive taxonomies, and a better understanding the formation of megadiverse tropical aquatic asssemblages. Please see forthcoming book: "Historical Biogeography of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes."

We now have an opening for a Ph.D or MSc. student in my laboratory starting 2011. A thesis project can involve a combination of field-based and laboratory studies, with opportunities to develop an independent research project in Latin America.