Chris has a strong interest in conservation of fishes and their ecosystems, 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. From 2019-2021 he held a Postdoctoral Research Associate 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. In 2021 he accepted a position as Senior Scientist at South Florida Water Management District, where he developed a monitoring project related to South Florida Everglades restoration and water quality impacts on coastal fish communities. In 2022, he accepted his current position as Director of Research and Conservation for Ocean First Institute, led by Executive Director Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza, a longtime friend a colleague. For this position, he is running a research lab out of Key Largo, Florida in affiliation with Marine Lab education center.