Michael Louison, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Office: Voigt Science Hall 223A
Phone: (618) 537-6096
Email: mjlouison@mckendree.edu
Education
Ph.D., Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(2018)
M.S., Biology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (2013)
B.A., Biology and Educational Studies, Ripon College (2007)
Research Interests
Fisheries Conservation
Contemporary Evolution of Animals
Behavioral and Physiological Response of Animals to their Environment
Impacts of Microplastic Exposure on Aquatic Animals
Publications
Louison, M.J., LaRochelle, L., and S.J. Cooke (2023, in production). Effectiveness of barotrauma mitigation
methods in bluegill and black crappie. Fisheries Management and Ecology
Bieber, J.F., Louison, M.J., and C.D. Suski (2023, in production). Capture is predicted by behavior and size, not
metabolism, in Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy). North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
Brand, N.R. (+*), Knoebel, E.M. (+*), Ross, R.M. (+*), VanPutte, R.D., and M.J. Louison (2022). Air exposure leads
to short term reflex impairment, but does not impact blood physiology, in angled channel catfish Ictalurus
punctatus. Fisheries Research 256: 106490
Bieber, J.F., LaRochelle, L., Cooke, S.J., Suski, C.D., and M.J. Louison (2022). Post-release locomotor activity of
ice-angled northern pike. Fisheries research 256: 106481
Card, J.T., Louison, M.J., Bieber, J.F., Suski, C.D., and C.T. Hasler (2022). An examination of freezing in yellow
perch (Perca flavescens) folloing ice fishing using a histological approach. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 38:
285-292.
Lawrence, M.J., Jeffries, K.M., Cooke, S.J., Enders, E.C., Hasler, C.T., Somers, C.M., Suski, C.D., and M.J. Louison
(2022). Catch and release ice fishing: Status, issues, and research needs. Transactions of the American
Fisheries Society 151(3): 322-332.
Althoff, A.L. (+*), Suski, C.D., and M.J. Louison (2021). Depth-based barotrauma severity, reflex
impairment, and stress response in two species of ice-angled fish. Fisheries Management and Ecology.
Keiling, T., Louison, M.J., and C.D. Suski (2020). Big, hungry fish get the lure: Size and food availability determine
capture over boldness and exploratory behaviors. Fisheries Research 227:105554.
Keiling, T., Louison, M.J., and C.D. Suski (2020) Behavioral phenotype does not predict habitat occupancy or angling
capture of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Canadian Journal of Zoology 98(6): 399-409.
Althoff, A.L. (+*), Hasler, C.T., and M.J. Louison (2020). Impact of retrieval time and hook type on hooking depth in
ice-angled northern pike caught on tip-ups. Fisheries Research 225:105502.
Louison, M.J., Stein, J.A., and C.D. Suski (2019). The role of social network behavior, swimming
performance, and fish size in the determination of angling vulnerability in bluegill. Behavioral Ecology and
Sociobiology 73:139.
Bieber, J.F., Louison, M.J., Stein, J.A., and C.D. Suski (2019). Impact of ice‐angling and handling on
swimming performance in bluegill and largemouth bass. North American Journal of Fisheries Management
139(6): 1301-1310.
Louison, M.J., Suski, C.D., and J.A. Stein (2019). Largemouth bass use prior experience, but not information from
experienced conspecifics, to avoid capture by anglers. Fisheries Management and Ecology 26(6): 600-610.
Louison, M.J., Hage, V.M., Stein, J.A., and C.D. Suski (2019). Quick learning, quick capture:
Largemouth bass that rapidly learn an association task are more likely to be captured by recreational anglers.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 73:23
Louison, M.J., Stein, J.A., and C.D. Suski (2018). Metabolic phenotype is not associated with
vulnerability to angling in bluegill sunfish. Canadian Journal of Zoology 96(11): 1264-1271.
Winter, H.N., Louison, M.J., Stein, J.A., and C.D. Suski (2018). Response of bluegill to variable exercise and
air exposure at cold temperatures: Implications for angling conservation. Environmental Biology of Fishes
101(12): 1657-1667
Louison, M.J., Jeffrey, J.D., Suski, C.D., and J.A. Stein (2018). Sociable bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
are selectively captured by recreational anglers. Animal Behaviour 142: 129-137
Louison, M.J., Adhikari, S., Stein, J.A., and C.D. Suski (2017). Hormonal responsiveness to stress is negatively
associated with vulnerability to angling capture in fish. Journal of Experimental Biology 220(14): 2529-2535.
Louison, M.J., Hasler, C.T., Raby, G.D., Suski, C.D., and J.A. Stein (2017). Chill out: Physiological responses to
winter ice-angling in two temperate freshwater fishes. Conservation Physiology 5(1): cox027.
Louison, M.J., Hasler, C.T., Fenske, M.M., Suski, C.D., and J.A. Stein (2017). Physiological Effects of ice-angling
capture and handling on northern pike, Esox lucius. Fisheries Management and Ecology 24(1): 10-18.
Louison, M.J., and R.S. Stelzer (2016). Use of first-order tributaries by brown trout (Salmo trutta) as nursery habitat
in a coldwater stream network. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 25(1): 133-140.
(+*) Indicates a McKendree University Student Co-Author
Courses Taught
Principles of Biology I - Cell and Molecular Biology
Scientific Communication
Evolution
Biostatistics
Conservation Biology
Fish Biology and Conservation
Animal Behavior
Animal Physiology
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Teaching Philosophy
I think the term that defines my teaching approach best is accessibility. I believe in working personally with students, and being quick to respond to questions and needs. While I have office hours posted, my door is always open for any student to talk about class, or discuss potential independent research opportunities. Ultimately, while college classes have a lot of terminology and verbage to understand, I always look to connect the themes of class to things that are actually happening in our environment today.
Organizations & Memberships
Animal Behavior Society
American Fisheries Society
