His research is rooted in community ecology, predicting and explaining species distributions and dispersal in aquatic systems, with a focus on biological invasions. He utilizes a broad set of tools to address many different types of ecological questions, including predicting species occurrence with species distribution models and geographic information systems (GIS), detecting rare species through environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance, and investigating species impacts through field observations and laboratory experiments. He also has served as co-founder and editor for the blog invasivore.org since 2011, using the concept of eating invasive species as a tool to promote education and outreach. Barnes earned his BA in Biology from Southwestern University followed by a PhD in Aquatic Ecology from the University of Notre Dame.