William Hopkins
· Professor and Director of Global Change CenterVirginia Tech · Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries
Active 1940–2025
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About
Professor William Hopkins is a faculty member in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, with a focus on physiological ecology and wildlife ecotoxicology. His research addresses pressing questions in both basic and applied science, including the energy costs of physiological and behavioral processes, and how anthropogenic disturbances alter the ability of fish and wildlife to interact appropriately with their environment. His work involves understanding the effects of land use, mercury contamination, coal combustion wastes, and other environmental factors on various species such as hellbenders, wood ducks, freshwater turtles, amphibians, and snakes. Professor Hopkins teaches courses related to vertebrate physiological ecology, global change, and wildlife biology, contributing to the education of students in these fields. His research aims to provide insights into how environmental changes impact wildlife health and behavior, with a particular emphasis on ecotoxicology and the effects of contaminants on reproductive and physiological functions.
Research topics
- Ecology
- Biology
- Zoology
- Animal science
- Medicine
- Demography
- Internal medicine
- Endocrinology
Selected publications
Modulators of mercury risk to wildlife and humans in the context of rapid global change
AMBIO · 2018-01-31 · 358 citations
articleOpen accessEnvironmental mercury (Hg) contamination is an urgent global health threat. The complexity of Hg in the environment can hinder accurate determination of ecological and human health risks, particularly within the context of the rapid global changes that are altering many ecological processes, socioeconomic patterns, and other factors like infectious disease incidence, which can affect Hg exposures and health outcomes. However, the success of global Hg-reduction efforts depends on accurate assessm…
Hematological indices of injury to lightly oiled birds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · 2017-10-12 · 40 citations
articleSenior authorAvian mortality events are common following large-scale oil spills. However, the sublethal effects of oil on birds exposed to light external oiling are not clearly understood. We found that American oystercatchers (area of potential impact n = 42, reference n = 21), black skimmers (area of potential impact n = 121, reference n = 88), brown pelicans (area of potential impact n = 91, reference n = 48), and great egrets (area of potential impact n = 57, reference n = 47) captured between 20 June 20…
General and Comparative Endocrinology · 2019-09-03 · 27 citations
article1st authorCorrespondingThe American Naturalist · 2023 · 24 citations
1st authorCorresponding) that has experienced precipitous population declines with unknown causes. We used underwater artificial nesting shelters deployed across a gradient of upstream forest cover to assess the fates of 182 nests at 10 sites over 8 years. We found strong evidence that nest failure rates increased at sites with low riparian forest cover in the upstream catchment. At several sites, reproductive failure was 100%, mainly due to cannibalism by the caring male. The high incidence of filial cannibalism at d…
General and Comparative Endocrinology · 2020 · 19 citations
Senior authorCorresponding
Recent grants
Frequent coauthors
- 56 shared
Sarah E. DuRant
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
- 41 shared
John H. Roe
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- 40 shared
Brian P. Jackson
Dartmouth College
- 35 shared
Justin D. Congdon
- 25 shared
Joel W. Snodgrass
Virginia Tech
- 23 shared
Jason M. Unrine
University of Kentucky
- 20 shared
Christopher L. Rowe
- 16 shared
Brandon Staub
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
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