The Fisheries Podcast

This week, Preston catches up with Steven Bardin, who appeared as a guest in Episode 261 a little over a year ago. They catch up on what has happened since that previous episode, including the launch of Steven's Reel Biology podcast. They also spend a lot of time taking a deep dive and previewing the upcoming 2025 Black Bass Symposium that will be held in conjunction with the AFS meeting in San An...

In this episode we are introduced to the newest host of The Fisheries Podcast, Conrad Pfalzgraf. He and Nick go down a somewhat chronological recap of Conrad's adventures so far and how he got to where he is today. Enjoy! Main point: Every failure is your first attempt at learning! Get in touch with us! The Fisheries Podcast is on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky: @FisheriesPod  Become...

On this weeks episode Brendan chats with Dr. Meagan Kindree about her work on the interactions between the invasive Round Goby and the native White Sucker in the tributaries of the Great Lakes, as well as how the changing thermal regimes brought on by climate change may impact both species.  Dr. Kindree discusses how they came about studying the impacts of Round Goby on juvenile White Sucker, what...

In this episode, Nick catches up with Ray Valley, co-founder of www.biobasemaps.com . Ray was originally a guest on episode 183 of the show and discussed his web-based software's ability to take consumer grade sonar data to produce information on depth, bottom hardness, and aquatic vegetation density for water bodies. In this episode, Ray and Nick discuss BioBase's latest offering: EcoFish. With t...

This week, Alanna chats with SMAST masters student Keith Hankowsky to discuss his work conducting groundfish trawl surveys in the southern New England wind farm area. They talk about developing regional framework models, the importance of learning a statistical programming language in modern fisheries science, and some of Keith's favorite groundfish. We hope you enjoy this episode!   Main point: "...

This week, Preston catches up with Dr. Steve McMullin, an associate professor emeritus with Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment. They discuss Steve's unconventional entry into the fisheries science field, his time climbing the ranks in Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, and how he ended up fulfilling his lifelong dream of teaching. Steve wraps up by providi...

On this weeks episode Brendan sits down with Ben Goldfarb, an independent conservation journalist.  He's the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet, named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times, and Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.  His work has appea...

This week, Elise chats with Cheryl Masterson, a Wisconsin DNR team supervisor and long time Lake Michigan fisheries manager. They chat about Cheryl's 28-year career in fisheries which spans species like Coho salmon, yellow perch, and (Elise's favorite fish) lake sturgeon, and her love for the Great Lakes. Listen in to hear Cheryl and Elise realize mid-episode that the world is actually incredibly...

This week, Alanna chats with SMAST masters student Andie Painten, who is generating baseline data from windfarm areas to study their eventual impact. Andie shares about her extensive experience in traveling abroad through her undergraduate study and research programs as well as graduate conferences. They discuss her current work, focused on the use of ventless trap surveys as well as various life...

This week, Preston catches up with Lawrence Dorsey, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's fisheries supervisor for the piedmont region. They discuss Lawrence's journey to his current role, the impacts that introduced Alabama Bass have had on North Carolina's black bass fisheries, and how Lawrence has adapted to his current supervisory role. We hope that you enjoy this episode!   Main...

On this weeks episode Brendan talks with Lesley Peterson, the Director of Conservation for Freshwater Conservation Canada, an organization formerly known as Trout Unlimited Canada!  They discuss how Alberta's native trout been impacted by habitat loss, invasive species, and what Freshwater Conservation Canada is doing with help from the Alberta Native Trout Collaborative! Tune in to learn how the...

This week, Alanna chats with María Dabrowski, the senior research associate at Rare's Center Behavior and the Environment. María describes her non-linear career path, through academia and non-profits, ranging from cognitive neuroscience, community outreach, and her current focus on the topic of reducing sea turtle bycatch in Ecuadorian artisanal fisheries. We hope you enjoy this episode!   Main po...

This week, Preston sits down with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission's Dr. Luke Etchison. They discuss the recently described Sicklefin Redhorse and the impacts that Hurricane Helene had on restoration projects in western North Carolina. They also discuss the creation of the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail and ways that conservation projects can be aided by getting support from public stakeh...

This week Nick provides an overview and review of the brand new board game Finspan. For six years, fish enthusiasts across the globe have been jealous of the success of the board game Wingspan but move aside birds, it is time for piscine supremacy! Nick discusses the various components of the game and attempts to describe how to play the game (better how to guides can be found at ' Watch it Played...

On this weeks episode Brendan sits down with Ian Smith, a professional geomorphologist that is now doing his PhD at the age of 62 at the University of Toronto! Ian will be working on incorporating principles of naturalized channel design to benefit native species in Ontario.  They discuss the interactions between the abiotic aspects of geomorphology and ecosystems, how geomorphology has changed ov...

This week, Elise (IG: @elisemobranchii) chats with University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation Program Master's student Jenny Norcross (IG: @jennynor). They discuss Jenny's childhood love for fishing, her ground breaking thesis work on Atlantic guitarfish movement, her passion for creating anatomically correct animal pottery, and more!  Main point: Things will not always go according to pl...

This week Alanna chats with Dr. Max Zavell, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology. They talk about Max's journey in fisheries, including time spent as a Hollings Scholar, his graduate research, and his current work studying the impact of wind farms on larval fish assemblages.   Main point: Take a breath, and take a look arou...

This week, Preston sits down with private lake manager Shan O'Gorman. They discuss Shan's path to owning and operating his own lake management business and some of the highs and lows along the way. Shan also shares the story of how an airport layover eventually turned into building a large following on various social media accounts, where he shares lake management tips and uses science to combat c...

On this weeks episode Brendan sits down with Patrick Hannington, a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. His interests are at the interface between animals, parasites, and freshwater environments, including Prussian carp, a species capable of gynogesis, a reproductive technique that involves cloning and sperm stealing!  Patrick and Brendan discuss Prussian Carp, eD...

On this week's episode, Elise (IG: @elisemobranchii) chats with Miami Rosenstiel Master's student Kylie Powers (IG: @kylie_powers_) to talk all things Atlantic Guitarfish! Listen in to learn about Kylie's journey into graduate school, her career as a competitive swimmer, her passion for teaching, and more!   Main Point: Don't be afraid to try EVERYTHING!   Get in touch with us! The Fisheries Podca...

In this episode we're introduced to our new host Alanna Mnich. Alanna tells us about her past spent studying larval cephalopods and Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, and a glimpse into the future of her as a host. Enjoy! Main point: There is no planet B! Get in touch with us! The Fisheries Podcast is on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky: @FisheriesPod  Become a Patron of the show: https://www.patr...

This week, Preston sits down with retired USGS Mississippi Cooperative Research Unit leader Dr. Hal Schramm. They discuss Hal's path to get to Mississippi State University, and a handful of the many research projects he worked on during his time there. They also spend time chatting about two of Hal's special interest topics: declining catchability of bass and other species, and the importance of b...

This week Julee Stewart (MSc. graduate) and Dr. Chris Somers (University of Regina) join Brendan to talk ice fishing outcomes for fish welfare from two of their recent studies on catch and release for Cisco and Northern Pike using different tackle on tip-ups in Saskatchewan. They discuss their findings, what they mean for anglers and fish, and how we need to think not just about catching but also...

This week, Elise (IG: @elisemobranchii) chats with Texas A&M PhD candidate Brett Sweezey (IG/Bluesky/Threads: @saltwatersweezey). They discuss Brett's MS spent working alongside lobster fishers in New England, fond memories at the Bimini Shark Lab, his current PhD research on multiple shark species in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, and more!    Main point: Ask for help!   G...

This week we catch up with and say goodbye (for now) to Kadie Heinle. For the last three and a half years Kadie has been not only hosting this podcast but also completing fieldwork and analysis for her Ph. D. project studying the cumulative threats of climate change effects, non-native species, and underlying genetic variation to cutthroat trout populations. Her original episode (#97) was nearly a...