EcoAnalysts' Consulting Scientists

Mike Bilger
Curriculum Vitae
Senior Aquatic Biologist / Pennsylvania Office Manager

Mike joined the EcoAnalysts team in January 2006, bringing with him over 30 years experience as an aquatic ecologist. Mike has spent his entire career working as a state or federal aquatic biologist, most recently with the U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Water Science Center. He received his B.S. in Natural Resources and Conservation Biology from the University of Maryland in 1972 and his M.S. in Invertebrate Zoology also from Maryland in 1977. He has a wide background in both applied and regulatory aquatic science and considers himself part of a dying breed as a general field biologist. Mike was a member of the original Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBP) workgroup with Jim Plafkin and has a strong background in aquatic toxicity and contaminants response, power plant impacts, wetlands, estuarine systems, and aquatic community assessment for algae, invertebrates, fish, and habitat parameters. He started and manages our Northeast Office, located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He has significant expertise integrating the physical, chemical and biological integrity of surface waters. He is extremely proficient in macroinvertebrate taxonomy, study design and implementation, and bioassessment using fish and invertebrate communities.

Julia Eichman
Periphyton Taxonomist / Missouri Office Manager

Julia joined the EcoAnalysts team in April 2005. She has several years of experience identifying periphyton throughout the United States. This experience was acquired working with Dr. Cameron Christensen, Dr. John Dodd, and Dr. Charles Reimer, both in the lab and in the field. Her principal areas of expertise include bioassessment of surface waters using soft-bodied algae, diatoms, water chemistry and geology. Julia's duties include preparation of samples, identification and enumeration of soft-bodied algae, diatoms, data analysis, interpretation, and report preparation.

David Richards, Ph.D.
Curriculum Vitae
Research Ecologist / Montana Office Manager

David is currently conducting research on the ecology of the invasive New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, and its ecological effects on the Snake River. He is also conducting research into the ecology and meta-population viability analysis of several threatened and endangered mollusks in the Snake River. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and has a M.S. degree in Entomology with emphasis in aquatic invertebrates, both from Montana State University. His M.S. thesis was "The use of aquatic invertebrates as indicators of water quality in mountain streams of Montana." He has over 20 years experience in a wide variety of resource management positions including fisheries and aquatic ecology positions throughout the middle and northern Rockies and southeast Alaska. In 1999, David started and now manages our EcoAnalysts Inc. Research Lab, in Bozeman, MT. His favorite research involves aquatic community ecology of high elevation and wilderness lakes and rivers.

D. Christopher Rogers
Curriculum Vitae
Invertebrate Ecologist / California Office Manager

Christopher opened our California office and laboratory in early 2002. He has been in the field of aquatic ecology since 1990 and one of his primary duties is to conduct quantitative bioassessment in terrestrial as well as permanent and temporary aquatic habitats. He has a strong knowledge of the Crustacea and is a recognized expert on fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp and clam shrimp, having discovered and described many new species of Branchiopod Crustacea. Christopher assists clients in Endangered Species Act compliance. He holds state and federal permits to conduct surveys for various rare, threatened and endangered invertebrate species including fairy shrimps, vernal pool tadpole shrimps, the California freshwater shrimp, and the Morro shoulderband snail. Christopher has extensive experience with the invertebrate fauna and ecology of North and South America and has performed faunistic inventories for entities in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Algeria, South Africa, and Bahrain. Christopher is a member of the International Union of Conservation and Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission's Invertebrate Steering Committee and the Inland Waters Crustacean Specialist Group.

Allan Vogel, Ph.D.
Zooplankton Specialist

Allan has over 30 years experience in the taxonomy of freshwater and coastal marine zooplankton, decapod crustaceans, and freshwater algae. He also has extensive knowledge of the ecology of freshwater and marine plankton and the role of trace elements, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals upon aquatic biota. Allan Vogel has worked with EcoAnalysts as a subcontractor for over three years and is responsible for processing plankton samples and performing quality assurance for our plankton taxonomy staff.