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

Prior to my current project I was involved in fish research as a summer technician for Utah State University were I aided in a study focused on interactions between stream dwelling nonnative brook trout and Bonneville cutthroat trout. While in Utah, I also aided in research critical to understanding the movements and habitat preferences of endemic fishes in a tributary to the Green River, Utah. As an undergraduate student and full time technician at the University of Maine I've been involved in a multitude of research projects including a studies focused on lake whitefish predation, the competitive interactions between juvenile Atlantic salmon and small mouth bass, annual arctic charr population assessments, investigations into small stream movements of native brook trout, understanding migrations of sea-run brook trout through otolith microchemistry, and evaluating the ability of sea lamprey to predispose Atlantic salmon spawning habitat.. My research project focuses on the growth, movements, and spawning behavior of lake whitefish in St. Froid and Clear Lakes, Maine. Historically lake whitefish were abundant and found throughout Maine's lakes. In addition they provided a popular sport fishery for winter ice anglers. Currently, populations of these native fish have been reduced in abundance, now primarily residing in areas of northern Maine. Findings of the current research will provide critical information regarding the basic biology of lake whitefish in Maine and...