As an aquatic biologist, I collect and identify insects and non-insectan macroinvertebrates, fishes, plankton, and unionid mussels that inhabit rivers, streams, springs, seeps, caves, other groundwater habitats, wetlands, ponds, lakes, and impoundments. I have a systematic interest and taxonomic expertise with the freshwater species in the Phylum Annelida -- the true-segmented worms. Groups in this phylum with which I am most familiar include the Aeolosomatida (suction-feeding worms), Branchiobdellida (crayfish worms), Hirudinida (leeches), and oligochaetes (the microdriles - primarily aquatic oligochaetes, and the megadriles - including most earthworms).

My primary responsibility at the Illinois Natural History Survey involves collaboration with several other aquatic biologists (an aquatic entomologist, a malacologist, and an ichthyologist) in the surveys of stream and lake systems that may be affected by construction or rehabilitation of bridge and highway projects by the Illinois Department of Transportation - throughout the State of Illinois. Through the conduct of these surveys, we document the current as well as historical status of both native and introduced aquatic fauna in these various habitats, with particular emphasis on species that are listed or under consideration for listing as endangered or threatened by the State of Illinois or the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Since 1991, I have been collaborating with Dr. Donald W. Webb and other scientists at the INHS and the Illinois State Geological Survey in a long-term study of the biodiversity, hydrogeology, and water quality of springs in Illinois. I also serve as the curator and collections manager for the INHS Annelida Collection.

Other important research projects include the distributions of aquatic oligochaetes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and in spring, cave, and other groundwater habitats throughout the U.S. For the last several years, I have been collaborating with Dr. John Reynolds (Oligochaetology Lab, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) on several projects:
1) an annotated checklist of the megadrile earthworms of North America (published in March 2004 in the journal Megadrilogica [Vol. 9(11): 71-98]. In December 2008, we published an update to the 2004 paper, expanding its scope to include the earthworm fauna of Bermuda, Hawaii, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. That paper is also published in the journal Megadrilogica [Vol. 12(12): 157-208].
2) Nomenclatura Oligochaetologica - Supplementum Quartum: A Catalogue of Names, Descriptions and Type Specimens of the Oligochaeta [NOSQ]; you can visit the NOSQ website for updates on its publication date (hopefully, late 2009);
3) an annotated checklist of the megadrile earthworms of Illinois is scheduled for publication in 2009 or 2010;
4) as associate editor, I assist Dr. Reynolds with the editorial responsibilities of the journal Megadrilogica. A nagivator bar at the bottom of the journal's homepage provides links to an index of all volumes and issues published to date, tentative titles and authors for papers now in press, and links to a few other websites with information pertinent to the study of terrestrial oligochaetes.

The Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Collections are world-renowned and are among our institution's most important physical assets. Most notable are the insect, plant, fish, mollusk, amphibian and reptile, crustacean, mammal, and annelid collections. These collections serve as an historical record of our living natural resources, are the basis for most of the work of identifying organisms for the public, and are critical to research programs focusing on the taxonomy, systematics, and ecology of plants and animals.

Specimens and data associated with our collections are commonly used by research, administrative, and regulatory staff members and educators throughout the state of Illinois, by the general public, and by scientists worldwide - either by visiting our institution or through loan programs overseen by our curators and collections managers. Environmental and ecological data associated with specimens and the assimilation of that information into computer databases has been completed for a few collections and is in progress for others. Web-based, searchable databases for several collections also are available to the public. You are encouraged to visit all of our collections - either via the links from this page and our main INHS webpage, or by arranging to visit our collections in person through contact with our collections curators and managers.

- Contact Information -

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physical address (office, Annelida Collection):
468 Natural Resources Bldg.,
607 East Peabody Drive, Champaign

mailing address - U.S. Post only:
Mark J. Wetzel
Illinois Natural History Survey
1021 Forbes Natural History Bldg., MC-652
1816 South Oak Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820 USA

Delivery address - via commercial carriers: (e.g., UPS, FEDEX, DHL)
179 Natural Resources Bldg.,
607 East Peabody Drive,
Champaign, Illinois 61820 USA

Telephone:
Voice: (217) 244-2108 (with voicemail)
FAX: (217) 333-0729
E-Mail: mjwetzel{AT}illinois.edu *

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This photograph of me was taken by Dr. Steven J. Taylor during our collections for aquatic oligochaetes and other cave fauna in Fogelpole Cave, November 1999. Steve is an aquatic entomologist at the INHS, an avid caver, and an experienced biospeleologist with whom I have collaborated on a variety of projects. Please visit Steve's INHS Biospeleology Homepage to learn more about his interests, expertise, and research projects, view pictures of oligochaete worms and a diversity of other cave organisms, and be introduced to the study of biospeleology in Illinois, elsewhere in North America, and throughout the world.

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Questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas?
Please forward them to me via *E-Mail: mjwetzel{AT}illinois.edu
* The '@' symbol in my e-mail address has been replaced with '{AT}' to deter the 'mining' of these webpages by spammers who use programs to collect valid e-mail addresses; a study released (already several years ago) by the Federal Trade Commission found that 86% of e-mail addresses posted on webpages and in internet news-groups eventually end up on lists used by spammers (and now phishers and other entities). You must replace the '{AT}' with the '@' symbol in order for your email message to be sent and received. Additional suggestions for protecting your virtual privacy are available via a hyperlink in the navigator bar at the bottom of this page.

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The site navigation bar at the bottom of this page directs you to resume-related information, several ongoing research projects, the INHS Center for Annelida Resources, and the INHS Annelida Collection.

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page update: 22 July 2009