Chris has a strong interest in aquatic ecology and conservation biology, so much of his research has revolved around this concept. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and upon graduation began studying fish ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute. He then went on to complete a masters degree from Florida Atlantic University, followed by a PhD at Florida State University. His graduate research focused on foraging ecology, niche partitioning, effectiveness of marine protected areas, ecotoxicology, and spawning behavior and patterns. In 2019 he started a postdoctoral position in the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences group at Purdue University where he researched life history of fishes, long-term fish community trends, gut microbiomes, and the effects of microplastics in aquatic environments at the population- and community-level. He worked at the South Florida Water Management District as Senior Scientist from 2021-2022 on issues related to anthropogenic changes in water flow and restoration of coastal ecosystems. He has now joined the team at Ocean First Institute as Directory of Research and Conservation.