Bradley M. Richardson
Bradley M. Richardson

Research Fish Biologist

About Me

I am a Research Fish Biologist with the USDA-ARS Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit. My research primarily centers on the ecology of snails and other macroinvertebrates in catfish aquaculture ponds and how this subsequently impacts catfish production. My research interests cover a wide breadth of aquatic ecology including macroinvertebrate and fish community structures, species interactions, predator-prey interactions, as well as general ecology and life histories. I also have a strong interest in educational research, particularly in how note-taking effects information retention in the classroom.

Download CV
Interests
  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Species Interactions
  • Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
  • Freshwater Fishes
Education
  • PhD Forest Resources (Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture) (Secondary Education Minor)

    Mississippi State University

  • MSc Biology

    Murray State University

  • BSc Fisheries/Aquatic Biology (Chemistry Minor)

    Murray State University

šŸ“š My Research

I’m a research biologist at the Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. I use a combination of laboratory- and field-based studies to improve the United State catfish aquaculture industry.

My primary research focuses on the monitoring and management of aquatic snails, which play host to numerous parasites detrimental to catfish production. Recent work has also expanded my focus to include snails detrimentally impacting the rice and crawfish industries of the United States, as well.

Featured Publications
Recent Publications
(2025). First report of a trematode infection in an invasive population of Pomacea maculata: Evidence of a phaneropsolid (Trematoda: Microphalloidea) and recommended methods for surveillance. Parasitology International, 112.
(2025). Harvesting zooplankton with submersible pumps does not affect water quality, stabilizes phytoplankton and zooplankton populations, and provides a supplemental food source for fry. NAJA, 88(1).
(2025). Development of an automated application system to apply copper sulfate pentahydrate to commercial catfish ponds using precision dry fertilizer application technology. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 41(5).
(2025). Trematode parasitism increases mortality in marsh ramshorn snails Planorbella trivolvis exposed to repeated low-dose copper sulfate treatments in laboratory trials. NAJA, 87(4).
(2025). Efficacy of orally-delivered virulent Aeromonas hydrophila bacterin vaccines in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Aquaculture, 611.