The Fisheries Podcast

047 - Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee River with Dr. Steve Sammons

This week I chat with Dr. Steve Sammons from Auburn University (hopefully those Tigers don't get upset that I said University of Auburn in the episode; War Eagle?) about a little of the work he has had the opportunity to do on Shoal Bass in the Apalachicola River basin. We start with why the southeastern United States is such a biodiversity hot spot before diving in more on the Shoal Bass. Steve is a wealth of information for this species and tells some fun tales of field expeditions including sampling for fish in a whitewater course! Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Remember the state agencies in your research!

046 - Early Career Adventures with Audrey Baetz

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Audrey Baetz about the handful of adventures that she has been able to be a part of early in her career. We go over her collegiate cross country history, some projects involving Three Spine Sticklebacks, her experience working in South Dakota, and her current role now as a contract worker for the USGS. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Stay Weird and Stay Passionate!

045 - Passionate projects of the Upper Missouri/Yellowstone with Dr. Christopher Guy

In this episode I chat with Dr. Christopher Guy, assistant unit leader for the Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit at Montana State. We briefly cover what the USGS Coop Units are and a couple of the projects that Chris and his students have been a part of working with Pallid Sturgeon recovery and Lake Trout removal. We then switch gears and talk about one of the courses and side projects that Chris has going on, his own podcast. Enjoy!
 
Today's Voices of Conservation Science can be found on spotify, stitcher, apple podcasts, or any app that uses the iTunes library (most of them).
 
Main Point: Be true to yourself as a scientist!

044 - Through the fish eye lens and what Julie Vecchio saw there

In this episode I chat with Julie Vecchio, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Florida. She is using the stable isotopes in fish eye lenses to learn more about diet and movement. We also cover many of her past adventures including spending time on a tall ship (we also learn what a tall ship is), learning how to fish during her master's work, and estuary monitoring in Florida, and teaching high school science. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Everything touches the ocean!
The Fisheries Podcast is a completely independent podcast, not affiliated with an larger organization or entity. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by the hosts are those of that individual and do not necessarily reflect the view of any entity with with those individuals are affiliated in other capacities (such as employers).

043 - Microchemistry and other topics with Dr. Brenda Pracheil

In this episode I chat with Dr. Brenda Pracheil of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory about a variety of topics. We start where she started, talking about her fascination with fish parisitology before moving on to talk a little about some of the work she completed while earning her Ph.D. We then fill the bulk of the episode chatting about everything microchemistry, from how the samples are taken to explaining how different crystal structures the calcified structure can skew your elemental ratios. We end with flying through much of the work she does at ORNL regarding hydropower impacts to fish and other aquatic organisms. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Take a more positive approach to everything!

042 - Black Sea Bass and Climate Change with Emily Slesinger

This week I chat with Emily Slesinger, a PhD candidate at Rutgers University studying Black Sea Bass and how climate change may affect that species. We talk about a handful of her projects dealing with that as well as highlight some of the great opportunities she was able to be a part of during her undergraduate years that helped lead her to the project she is working on currently. Enjoy!
 
Main Point: Stay Curious, Stay Excited, and Be Nice to Eachother!

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!