Margaret (Maisie) Merz

Lecturer of Wildlife Ecology
5755 Nutting Hall, Room 240A
91±¬ÁÏ
Orono, ME 04469
margaret.merz@maine.edu, 207.581.2867

I recently completed my Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the 91±¬ÁÏ, where I studied the ecosystem-level consequences of small mammal personality in forest ecosystems. My research interests have broadly focused on animal behavior and its implications for conservation and ecosystem function. Prior to my doctoral work, I studied urban and rural variation in crow behavior, spatial behavior of freshwater fish in response to noise and light pollution, and conducted field research across a range of ecosystems—including freshwater systems, tropical forests, and suburban habitats—working with fish, freshwater mussels, amphibians, birds, and macroinvertebrates. Ultimately, I am interested in understanding how animal behavior shapes ecological processes and how this knowledge can inform effective management and conservation strategies.