Research in the Fish Conservation Physiology Lab focuses on determining the ecological significance of physiological variation in animals that inhabit dynamic environments. Using a combination of field- and laboratory-based studies, much of our research to date has centered on understanding how variation in the abiotic parameters (e.g. oxygen, temperature) of the natural environment translates into an animal’s physiological performance. We study a variety of aquatic species, often those living in naturally extreme or anthropogenically-challenging habitats. Integrating comparative animal physiology with mechanistic, ecological, and evolutionary physiology, our work addresses mechanisms that underlie processes of local adaptation and acclimation. We also use this fundamental knowledge in applied conservation contexts, such as predicting species' responses to predicted climate change or habitat modifications.