The Fisheries Podcast

041 - Malacology with Jeremy Tiemann

In this week's episode I chat with Jeremy Tiemann about his work across the globe studying mussels. We chat about his part in discovering a new species in Mexico and listing a similar species in Texas as endangered, discovering another new species that you could probably find in your local stream, the translocation of nearly 1,000,000 mussels, and we talk about some equally interesting work he has done with Banded Killifish and the Iowa Darter. Enjoy!
 
Main point: be open to new opportunities and trying new things!

040 - Anthropology and Alaskan Fisheries with Kinsey Justa

For this episode we take a slightly different path and speak to someone in the commercial fishing industry. Kinsey Justa is the global markets manager for 60 Degrees North Seafoods in Cordova, Alaska. We talk about her role there and a little about how the commercial fishermen operate on the Copper River up in Alaska. Before discussing that, we go over the interesting path that Kinsey took to get from her hometown to where she is now, including studying in Hawaii, backpacking throughout southeast Asia, and working as skiing/snowshoe guide among other activities. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Everyone's unique perspectives are important in solving our current problems!

039 - Gila Trout with Nate Wiese

In this episode I chat with Nate Wiese, the current hatchery manager at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Mora National Fish Hatchery. He works closely with Gila Trout which we cover in this episode after discussing a little of Nate's background studying hedonic price analysis of commercial fish farms and his background with the USFWS. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Some people fish their entire lives not knowing it's not the fish that they're after!

038 - Iowa's Large River Research with Ryan Hupfeld

This week I again go back to an old friend in Iowa and interview Ryan Hupfeld. He is a large river research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Prior to his current position he studied Paddlefish in Missouri and on the Missouri River in Iowa. While working on the Missouri River he was also able to work on Pallid Sturgeon. Since moving across the state to work on the Mississippi River he has switched focus to the more common cousin, the Shovelnose Sturgeon. Ryan will soon be breaking out of his comfort zone and working with Yellow Perch on a project he describes towards the end of the episode. I also ask Ryan about a recent trip he was able to take to the U.K. through AFS. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Working on a large scale and taking an ecosystem approach is important! 

037 - Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation with Jeff Kopaska

This week I chat with an old friend of mine, Jeff Kopaska. Jeff is a biometrician with the Iowa DNR Fisheries Division and has had his hand in a number of interesting projects that are helping biologists and anglers alike in Iowa. He is also very involved with the American Fisheries Society and is currently the president-elect of the North Central Division and a member of the membership committee, among other assignments. We discuss some of his view about the current state of the society and where he thinks we are headed in the future. We also discuss a neat story about how Jeff had worked with others in Iowa to restore and preserve a handful of original Maynard Reece paintings that were used to make various prints, like the one used as this episodes image. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: When you see an opportunity, take it!

036 - Social Sciences in Fisheries with World Traveler Dr. Hannah Harrison

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Dr. Hannah Harrison, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Guelph. We discuss the correct pronunciation of routes and data, cover what is social science and human dimensions research and how it relates to fisheries, which was a big part of her dissertation. She has just started her position in Ontario and we go over what she is hoping to accomplish as far as research projects go including a plug for her project Coastal Routes, more information can be found at www.coastalroutes.org. 
 
Main Point: Fisheries managers and researchers need to be better about communicating the value of their work to those who utilize and care about the fish!

035 - Landcruisers and Fatmuckets with Jeff Conway

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Jeff Conway, a hatchery manager at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery. We begin talking about his side hobby of restoring Toyota Landcruisers before moving one to his diverse hatchery career where he has raised a variety of fish. Now in Texas he and his crew is attempting to raise freshwater mussels in the hatchery setting. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Don't Be Afraid to Take a Risk!

034-Alaskan Adventures and Century Old Fish with Alec Lackmann

In this episode we hear from Alec Lackmann who will very soon wrap up his Ph.D. work at North Dakota State University. While there Alec studied tundra pond ecology in the high arctic region of Alaska, specifically a variety of projects studying chironomids. We discuss those topics and his research before moving on to one of his side projects back in the Midwest. Alec, out of curiousity, began aging some more overlooked "rough" fish, one of which being the Bigmouth Buffalo. The first fish he aged was much older than he first thought which led him down a path of collaboration and validation. How old were these fish? You'll have to listen to find out!
 
Main Point: Bigmouth Buffalo are not carp! They are native to North America and are now the oldest freshwater teleost species!

033 - Guadalupe Bass with Tim Birdsong

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Tim Birdsong of the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department. We begin by talking about Tim's baseball career. We then start talking about Guadalupe Bass, that state fish of Texas, and all the work that Tim and his cooperators have completed in the past two decades. Towards the end we briefly go over some of the leasing programs that Texas has implemented to increase angler access to some of these newly restored bass populations. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Think Big Picture about Watershed Connections and Interactions!

032 - GARkansas with Henry Foster

In this episode I chat with Henry Foster about his 15 month long quest to get the Alligator Gar named the state fish of Arkansas. He ultimately succeeded, with the caveat that it be the state primitive fish, a fact that he is not upset about. We discuss his passion for gar and all things fishy. Enjoy!
 
One Point: Alligator Gar are not trash fish but important pieces of their ecosystem!

031 - Invasive Issues on Mille Lacs with Tom Heinrich

A few weeks ago I received an email from a listener wanting to know more about the issues the Minnesota DNR is seeing on Mille Lacs, so I reached out to Tom Heinrich. Tom and I cover some of the invasive species issues they are facing at one of Minnesota's most popular lakes and how those are affecting Walleye resulting in some closures of the Walleye season a few years ago. Things are looking up for Mille Lacs and Tom explains why and more in this episode. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Management decisions not only consider science but also social input!

030 - Post-ups and Post-Release Mortality: A Selection Sunday Episode with Ryan Knotek

In this Selection Sunday episode I chat with Ryan Knotek about his experience playing college basketball at the University of New England while also doing undergraduate research. We then discuss his master's research and the work he is currently doing now at the University of Massachusetts Boston working towards his PhD. We then bring it back to basketball and have Ryan make a pick on who will win the NCAA men's tournament.
I have set up a bracket challenge group for both the men's and women's bracket so podcast listeners can compete against me and others to see who is the luckiest guess. The bracket group can be found on ESPN and is simply named The Fisheries Podcast or by clicking here.
I hope that you enjoy this episode with Ryan Knotek, hearing about all the cool projects he has been a part of and his basketball past. 
 
Main Point: Don't take your time in college for granted and it is important to leave no stone unturned in your research!