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

Staff Member

Dr. Sean Christopher Sterrett

Freshwater turtle and mussel surveys on Ichawaynochaway Creek.
Post Doc
Phone: (317) 796 - 3634
Email: ssterrett@umass.edu
Faculty Website

Links:

Education

  • Ph D University of Georgia 2014
  • MS University of Georgia 2009
  • BS Butler University 2003

Biography

I'm a wildlife ecologist that has worked extensively in aquatic ecosystems and with reptiles and amphibians. I finished a B.S. in Biology from Butler University and a M.S. and PhD. in Wildlife Ecology and Management from the University of Georgia. I joined the MA Coop Unit in 2017 and am currently focusing on a rangewide conservation initiative for the Brook Floater, a critically. imperiled freshwater mussel. Previously, I worked for the U.S.G.S. and the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative.. I am a broadly trained ecologist and my primary goals are to develop and implement multi-faceted approaches to solve real-world conservation problems and to explore and understand how wildlife contributes to ecosystems.. I enjoy teaching at multiple levels and hope to incorporate teaching into my career. In the past, I've focused my instruction in the fields of Animal Behavior, Herpetology and Scientific Writing.

Research Publications Publication Date
Sterrett, S., A. Roy, P. Hazelton, B. Watson, B. Swartz, T.R. Russ, L. Holst, M. Marchand, J. Wisniewski, M. Ashton, and B. Wicklow. 2018. Brook Floater Rapid Assessment Monitoring Protocol. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-132-2018, Washington, D.C. | Publisher Website September 2018
Sterrett, S., A. Roy, P. Hazelton, B. Swartz, E. Nedeau, J. Carmignani, and A. Skorupa. 2022. Standard Operating Protocol for Mark and Recapture Monitoring of Brook Floater in Streams. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Cooperator Science Series FWS/CSS-142-2022, Washington, D. C. https://doi.org/10.3996/css67282137 | Publisher Website July 2022
Project Completion Date
Brook Floater Research and Conservation October 2021
Feasibility and uses for freshwater mussel culture in Massachusetts December 2017
Presentations Presentation Date
Sterrett, S.S., L. Stevenson, M. Endries, P. Hazelton, and A.H. Roy. 2018. Freshwater mussel species distribution models to inform proactive conservation decision making. Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 15-17 April 2018, Burlington, VT. April 2018
Sterrett, S.C. and A.H. Roy. 2017. The Brook Floater Working Group: A collaborative initiative aimed at regional population restoration and conservation. Ellipsaria 19(3):20-21. September 2017
Sterrett, S., P.D. Hazelton, A. Doubleday, D. Perkins, A.H. Roy, and M.D. Staudinger. 2017. Brook Floater rangewide conservation and restoration initiative. Meeting of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society, 26-30 March 2017, Cleveland, OH. March 2017
Skorupa, A.J., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, D. Perkins, T. Warren, A. Fisk, and S.C. Sterrett. 2019. Developing a strategy to restore a freshwater mussel (Alasmidonta varicosa) to Massachusetts watersheds. Northeast Aquatic Biologists Conference, 27 February - 1 March, Saratoga Springs, NY. February 2019
Skorupa, A.J., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, D. Perkins, A. Fisk, and S. Sterrett. 2018. Brook floater (Alasmidonta varicosa) mesohabitat preferences in four Massachusetts watersheds. Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 15-17 April 2018, Burlington, VT. April 2018
Skorupa, A., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, A. Fisk, D. Perkins, S.C. Sterrett, and T. Warren. 2021. Habitat predicts abundance of five freshwater mussel species in Massachusetts. Northeast Natural History Conference, 12-14 April 2021 [virtual]. April 2021
Skorupa, A., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, A. Fisk, D. Perkins, S.C. Sterrett, and T. Warren. 2021. Habitat predicts abundance of five freshwater mussel species in Massachusetts. Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Symposium, 12-14 April 2021 [virtual]. April 2021
Skorupa, A., A.H. Roy, P.D. Hazelton, A. Fisk, D. Perkins, S.C. Sterrett, and T. Warren. 2019. Mesohabitat relationships to abundance for three mussels found in northeastern US streams. Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Symposium, 14-18 April 2019, San Antonio, TX. April 2019
Roy, A.H., P.D. Hazelton, and S.C. Sterrett. 2020. Modeling and monitoring for rangewide conservation of a rare mussel. Northeast Aquatic Biologist Conference, 4-6 March 2012, Newport, RI. March 2020
Roy, A.H., P.D. Hazelton, and S.C. Sterrett. 2019. Using standardized protocols toward improving rangewide conservation of rare mussel species. Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Symposium, 14-18 April 2019, San Antonio, TX. April 2019
Roy, A.H., P.D. Hazelton, S. Sterrett, A. Doubleday, A. Fisk, L. Holst, M. Marchand, D. Perkins, M.D. Staudinger, B. Swartz, and B. Watson. 2017. What's next? Brook Floater rangewide conservation and restoration initiative. Northeast Freshwater Mussel Meeting, 7 March 2017, Hadley, MA. March 2017
Hazelton, P., S.S. Sterrett, and A. Roy. 2018. A standardized rapid survey protocol for rare freshwater mussels using an occupancy framework. Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 15-17 April 2018, Burlington, VT. April 2018
Carmignani, J., P. Hazelton, S. Sterrett, and A. Roy. 2020. Assessing detection, occupancy, and habitat correlates for a rare mussel based on standardized rapid survey protocol. Northeast Natural History Conference, 17-19 April 2020, Stamford, CT. April 2020