Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program:
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Staff Member

Peter MacKinnon

Peter Mackinnon
Research Associate

Education

  • MS Utah State University 2006
  • BS Utah State University 2003

Biography

Peter MacKinnon is a researcher in the Fish Ecology Lab at Utah State University. Peter got his MS degree in Fisheries Biology at USU in 2006.
. Peter has vast expertise in designing and engineering fish and wildlife detection equipment and stations across the USA and the world. Peter's current research interest is in designing PIT-Tag detection equipment for unique, challenging environments like the Colorado River Basin and Islands in the Antarctic.

Research Publications Publication Date
Stout, J.B., M.M. Conner, P. Budy, P. Mackinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2020. Keeping it classy: Classification of live fish and ghost PIT tags detected with a mobile PIT tag interrogation system using an innovative analytical approach. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 77:1564-1573. | Abstract June 2020
Stout, J.B, M.M. Conner, P. Budy, P. Mackinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2019. We ain’t afraid of no ghosts: Tracking habitat interactions and movement dynamics of ghost tags under differing flow conditions in a sand bed river. 21 September, 2019 Accepted. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Management Brief 39:1337-1347 September 2019
Project Completion Date
BoR: Understanding and Quantifying Fish Movement, Habitat Use, and Survival Through Innovative PIT Tag Technology September 2024
Presentations Presentation Date
Thiede, G.P. , P. Budy, P. MacKinnon, D. Speas, M. Breen, and K. McAbee. 2014. Frequent tributary usage by endangered and large-river fishes of the Upper Colorado River basin. American Fisheries Society, Western Division, 7-11 April, 2014, Mazatlán, Mexico. April 2014
Stout, J.B., P. Budy, M. Conner, P. MacKinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2018. Determining fish status from mobile PIT antenna detections: Preliminary study results. 39th Annual Researcher’s Meeting of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Vernal, UT. January 23, 2018. January 2018
Stout, J.B., P. Budy, M. Conner, P. MacKinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2017. Wanted: Dead or Alive. Determining fish status from mobile PIT antenna detection data. 42nd Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society. Missoula, MT. May 22, 2017. May 2017
Stout, J.B., P. Budy, M. Conner, P. MacKinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2017. PIT tag movement in the absence of fish: Preliminary results from a mobile PIT tag antenna study. 38th Annual Researcher’s Meeting of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Grand Junction, CO. January 11, 2017. January 2017
Stout, J.B., P. Budy, M. Conner, P. MacKinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2017. Improving our ability to estimate vital rates of endangered fishes on the San Juan River using novel applications of PIT tag technology. Joint Meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming and Utah Chapters of the American Fisheries Society. Grand Junction, CO. February 22, 2017. February 2017
Stout, J.B., M. Connor, P. Budy, M. McKinstry, and P. MacKinnon. 2016. Improving our ability to estimate vital rates of endangered fishes on the San Juan River using novel applications of PIT tag technology. 2016 Annual Meeting of the Utah Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Altamont, UT. March 15-17,2016. March 2016
Stout, J.B., Conner, M.M., Yackulic, C., Budy, P., Mackinnon, P., and M. Mckinstry. 2019. Gone, but not forgotten: Bias and error, the legacy of ghost tags in aquatic systems. Oral presentation: Annual Meeting of the Utah Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Provo, Utah, 12-14 March 2018. March 2019
Speas, D, P.MacKinnon.2020. Entrainment of endangered fish in the Green River Canal, Utah, 2013-2019. 40th annual Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program Researcher's Meeting, Durango CO, 14-15 January 2020. January 2020
Speas, D, P.MacKinnon.2020. Entrainment of endangered fish in the Green River Canal, Utah, 2013-2019. 40th annual Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program Researcher's Meeting, Durango CO, 14-15 January 2020. January 2020
Technical Publications Publication Date
Stout, J.B., M. Conner, P. Budy, P. MacKinnon, and M. McKinstry. 2016. Improving our ability to estimate vital rates of endangered fishes on the San Juan River using novel applications of PIT tag technology. American Fisheries Society, Utah Chapter, March 17, 2016, Altamont, UT. March 2016
Stout, J.B., M. Conner, P. Budy, M. McKinstry, and P. MacKinnon. 2016. How do we use portable PIT tag antenna data? 37th Annual Researcher’s Meeting of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. January 12, 2016, Durango, CO. January 2016