“I grew up on my great-grandfather's farm, and we had two creeks running through our property,” Bonner said. “From the earliest of ages, I remember getting into the creek and looking for what was in the water.”
Now a professor and researcher in Texas State University’s Department of Biology, Bonner studies Texas freshwater species, but training future aquatic biologists, he said, is the heart of his work.
“Fundamentally, I'm an educator,” Bonner said. “I want my students out working with me in the field.”
Surprises found while studying the fountain darter
Bonner has spent years studying the endangered fountain darter, native to the San Marcos and Comal Rivers. Recently, his team found fountain darters much farther downstream than expected, near Martindale.
“Just recently, we found a new population [of fountain darters] ... where they were never thought to exist,” Bonner said. “We're currently [researching if it was] an accident that they were displaced down there. The numbers that we're finding suggest it was not an accident, and they're thriving in that area.”
Bonner has two hypotheses to explain this finding:
- “Sometimes in our world, we think we know a species. We think we know where and how far it’s found in any river system, and we think we know what the limiting factors are,” Bonner said. “That keeps us from looking downstream. I've sampled this area in the past and not found fountain darters, but I wasn't looking for them. I'm thinking they could have been down there all along.”
- “Some of the high flows we had back in 2016 in this area might have pushed some [fountain darters] downstream,” Bonner said. “Those were substantial flows, but why hadn't that happened in previous large flood events?”
What mussels reveal about river health
Bonner led a major study of freshwater mussels, which are sensitive to water quality and flow. His team surveyed the Colorado River and beyond to understand where mussels live and how they survive.
“Mussels don't necessarily have a choice of where they end up due to their life cycle,” Bonner said. “It seems like the larger substrates are paramount to the persistence of these mussels. Some of them are very much sand loving, but a lot of them are found around some kind of a structure.”
His team also studied the impacts of major floods, such as Hurricane Harvey. While some mussels were displaced, others appeared in new areas.
“That project allowed us to greatly increase the information that we had about many of these organisms,” Bonner said. “Flowing water and water quality for fish and mussels is just another dependent variable for us to add in and to understand that the flow and water quality needs for fish aren't necessarily the same for mussels.”
His research gives agencies the data they need to protect these species and the ecosystems they depend on.
“As we start thinking about quantifying the entirety of the aquatic community, it gives us better ways to understand what factors are needed to promote their existence in the future, and also to minimize any future mortalities,” Bonner said.
By studying where fish and mussels live and how they react to change, Bonner is helping protect the future of Texas rivers and the life they support.
Finding and protecting Texas’ native bass
In the 1970s, Florida bass were brought into Texas to grow larger fish for game. Researchers now believe Texas still has the pure native species, and Bonner is working to locate those populations.
“The geneticist with Parks and Wildlife and our crew are sampling throughout the state to find out where the native Texas largemouth bass are found,” Bonner said. “We’re trying to find these little pure populations that exist. So far, we’ve found a few.”
These findings could help protect the native species from being permanently mixed with Florida bass.
Advice for future biologists
To students interested in aquatic biology, Bonner encourages getting hands-on experience early.
“Take some risks. Go out and get experience, because when you finish with your undergraduate degree, you want to have some experience,” Bonner said. “If you've worked in a lab and done research ... those are the things that get you ahead when employers are looking to hire.”
Research with real impact
From exploring creeks as a kid to leading major conservation efforts across the state, Bonner’s passion for Texas’ rivers and aquatic life has remained constant. His work continues to shape how species are protected and how future scientists are trained.
To learn more about Bonner’s research, click here. To explore Texas State’s Aquatic Biology program, click here.
The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
