UM leads the way in fisheries education and research

Emily Senkoski and Elizabeth Harrison

(UM News Service) Whether putting on a wetsuit and snorkeling to collect data or sampling fish in a lab river, the University of Montana’s Fisheries Technology program goes beyond the classroom to keep students fascinated with the aspects of fisheries conservation and management. Real world application.

Led by Andrew Whiteley, Associate Professor of Fisheries and Conservation Genomics in WA’s Frank School of Forestry and Conservation, the course provides second-year students with the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of fisheries science. Through field trips like snorkeling in the Blackfoot River Basin and Gold Creek, students can immerse themselves in learning while making a meaningful contribution to the conservation of Montana’s aquatic ecosystems.

Whiteley’s vision is to equip students to address pressing issues facing fish species in Montana and the broader West. The course goes beyond traditional learning to provide them with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle real-life challenges faced in the fishing industry.

“At the heart of our curriculum are applied management and conservation concepts,” Whiteley said. “We discuss the state’s critical fisheries issues, such as the fragmentation of river and stream habitats and the impact of non-native fish species. Then we learn about the techniques and concepts used by fisheries biologists and researchers to provide data-driven solutions.

For a state where 1 million anglers fish rivers and streams, fisheries protection and management are a top priority. Fisheries technology courses are just one of the ways the university is leading innovative research and education in fisheries management in the western United States.

U-M has been at the forefront of fisheries genetics research since the early 1970s, when U-M biology professor emeritus Fred Allendorf teamed up with former U-M biology professor Rob Leary (Robb Leary) co-founded one of the first fish genetics laboratories in the United States.

Recognizing the potential of this emerging field, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks partnered with Allendorf and Leary to conduct a statewide genetic survey of Montana’s native trout populations. The collaboration creates one of the most comprehensive native trout databases in the world.

Decades later, Whiteley came to the University of Michigan and earned a Ph.D. In 2005, he received his PhD in Organismic Biology and Ecology.

Whiteley’s own research focuses on habitat fragmentation and the dynamics between native and non-native fish populations in dammed river systems. In 2017, he received $800,000 from the National Science Foundation to conduct a five-year study of trout populations and genetic rescue (strategic relocation of fish to restore small, isolated populations). Can it be used as a protective tool? This award, a career grant from the National Science Foundation, is the most prestigious award for junior faculty and is limited to a small number of assistant professors each year.

Whiteley said he is honored to continue the legacy left by Allendorf and Leary as principal investigators at the Montana Conservation Genome Laboratory. Montana fisheries geneticist Ryan Kovach works at the University of Michigan laboratory, which continues to play a key role in most of the decisions Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks makes in fisheries management.

“It’s a little unusual,” Whiteley said. “You can find states where it was established, but there are a lot of states where it’s not used nearly to the same extent. We’re on our way to the top. I attribute that to the long-term relationship and trust that Fred and Robb have built with FWP.

In the field and in the classroom, Whiteley students are actively involved in research designed to inform national management of trout species. They are at the forefront of solving critical questions in conservation genomics, evolutionary biology, and ecology—all to maintain healthy fish populations in Montana.

Whiteley’s team works closely with MFWP’s national fish geneticists and research scientists to provide genetic and genomic data, analysis and decision support related to a variety of species, including westslope trout, Yellowstone trout, bull trout, Arctic trout Trout etc.

“Our collaborations with MFWP and other agencies help inform fishery management decisions,” Whiteley said. “We analyze thousands of samples each year, and this partnership underscores our commitment to protecting Montana’s native fish and their habitats.” The promise of land.

Student contributions extend beyond Montana, providing valuable data and research to entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Game and Fish Department, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Undergraduate student Max Posey, now a senior majoring in terrestrial wildlife biology, enrolled in the Fisheries Technology course in fall 2021. Fish – A non-lethal method of collecting fish data.

The process involves small teams of three or four students hiking to streams wearing backpacks that produce small and controllable electrical outputs. The students then waded into the stream and used electric probes to temporarily stun the fish so they could net them and collect data on each fish. Through this practical application, students can accurately collect fish demographic information, such as species and size range, ultimately providing estimates of populations in streams.

“The two most important things I took away from the class was that this type of work is interesting and applicable,” Posey said. “It’s the most practical and you can collect a lot of really important data in the process.”

For Posey, the journey from classroom to stream was enough to formalize his commitment to fisheries management. The next summer, he worked for the Nevada Wildlife Department and believes he was selected for the position because of the fisheries technology course. He now plans to become a fisheries biologist and hopes to continue working with Whiteley in graduate school at the University of Michigan.

Whiteley leads classes designed to expose students to interesting field work and help them understand the major challenges currently affecting Montana’s aquatic ecosystems. He hopes to prepare students like Posey for future careers in biology while also instilling a deep sense of stewardship of Montana’s natural resources.

The enthusiasm sparked in the class has had a ripple effect, as one student expressed after a snorkeling field trip:

“That’s exactly what I wanted to do when I came to Montana.”