Current Research Interests
- Life history
- Evolution
- Stream ecology
- Conservation
Baker's interest in ecology and environmental sciences began during his work on a MSc degree in
1975, which centered on the ecology of stream fishes. Following completion of his master's
degree, he worked as a biological technician for NOAA, then moved to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, MS to work on assessing, and mitigating the effect
of Corps of Engineers activities in inland and coastal waters. During a 16-year stay with the
Corps, Baker authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed technical and other reports
on studies of large river systems, natural lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and coastal environments.
In 1995 moved to Clark University, where he is presently a research assistant professor
in the Department of Biology, and also teaches Applied Ecology in the IDCE Program. He completed
his Ph.D. degree in 1998, from the University of Arkansas, while at Clark. Baker has been
affiliated with the Marsh Institute since 1996. In addition to his environmental studies,
Baker has maintained an active research program in other areas, studying the connections
between environment and life history in a variety of southeastern U.S. stream fishes, and
in the threespine stickleback. He maintains close collaborations with colleagues in the U.S.,
Canada, and Europe, and he has authored or co-authored nearly 50 peer-reviewed papers or book
chapters on topics including river restoration, wetlands, fish ecology, fish life history, and
conservation. Baker has received two NSF grants (with S.A. Foster), one of which is current.
Selected Publications
Foster, S.A., J.A. Baker and M.A. Bell. 2003. The case for conserving stickleback populations: Protecting an adaptive radiation. Fisheries 28: 10-18.
Brookes, A., J.A. Baker and C.R. Redmond. 1996. Floodplain restoration and riparian zone management. In River channel restoration: Guiding principles for sustainable projects, eds. A. Brookes and F.D. Shields, 201-229. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Baker, J.A., R.L. Kasul, L.E. Winfield, C.R. Bingham, C.H. Pennington, and R.E. Coleman. 1987. An ecological investigation of revetted and natural bank habitats in the lower Mississippi River. Vicksburg, MS: Lower Mississippi River Environmental Program, Report 9, Mississippi River Commission.
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