www.vims.edu/research/departments/fisheries

Research within the Department of Fisheries Science is focused on understanding the population dynamics and biology of fish, crustacean, and molluscan species of commercial, recreational, ecological, and evolutionary significance. Also included within the research framework of the department is the Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center. Collaborative research and teaching efforts are common among department faculty. In addition to furthering knowledge through peer-reviewed publications, members of the department advise local, regional and national resource management agencies and involve students directly in fisheries management. The department also maintains an internationally recognized collection of alcohol-preserved and skeletal specimens of fishes that are available for student research.

Preparatory Studies

Students interested in graduate study in Fisheries Science should have substantial undergraduate coursework in biology including: physiology, biochemistry, comparative morphology or developmental biology, genetics, ecology and related topics, and evolutionary biology. College physics, chemistry (through organic) and math through calculus are required. Courses in statistics, marine biology and fishery biology may be helpful but are not prerequisites.

Typical Course of Study for M.S. and Ph.D. Students

In addition to the required core courses, Fisheries students in these degree programs are required to take MSCI 501F - Fundamentals of Marine Fisheries Science  as one of their three or four fundamentals courses. They are also required to take an additional advanced quantitative course, chosen from the following menu: MSCI 583 - Molecular Genetic Data Analysis, Bioinformatics , MSCI 667 - Got Data, Now What? Inference, Experimental Design, and Data Analysis ,  MSCI 669 - Linear and Generalized Linear Models in Ecology , MSCI 670 - Stock Assessment Methods , or MSCI 671 - Fisheries Population Dynamics . Fisheries students are required to enroll in MSCI 515C - Fisheries Science Seminar  each spring semester. Additional upper-level courses offered by the Fisheries faculty include: MSCI 555 - Marine Resource Economics , MSCI 556 - Statistics & Data Science , MSCI 560A - Bivalve Shellfish Aquaculture: Biology & Production , MSCI 560D - Bivalve Shellfish Aquaculture: Economics & Policy , MSCI 561 - Statistical & Graphical Analyses in R , MSCI 658 - Larval Ecology , MSCI 663 - Deep-Sea Biology , MSCI 664 - Marine Conservation Biology , MSCI 666 - Ichthyology , MSCI 668 - Malacology , MSCI 672 - Ecology of Fishes , MSCI 673A - Principles of Molecular Biology , MSCI 673C - Principles of Molecular & Phylo-genetics (Eukaryotes) , MSCI 679 - Principles of Dependent Data Structure Modeling , and MSCI 698 - Special Topics in Marine Science .

Note: M.A. students should refer to the M.A. Degree Program Course Requirements  and consult with the M.A. program director.

Areas of Research

Anadromous Fishes Program:

Research and monitoring of the abundance, reproductive ecology, life history and exploitation of highly migratory species, such as striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon, river herrings and American shad, that spawn in fresh water. Studies include monitoring commercial and recreational landings, monitoring stock status with fishery-independent surveys, developing novel approaches to stock assessment, conducting surveys of juvenile abundance, mark/recapture and telemetry methods for estimation of fishing rates and description of migratory behavior.

Molluscan Ecology

Studies focus on ecology and stock assessment of estuarine and continental shelf molluscs. Broad program interests include ecology and behavior of molluscan larvae, life history and population dynamics, restoration culture for commercial purposes, and molluscs as indicators of climate and environmental change.

Invasive Species Biology

Research focuses on history and pathways of invasions, the characteristics of invasive species ecosystem impacts, and mechanisms of control, national and international policy relating to introductions, and evaluation and implementation of intentional introductions for ecological and economic purposes.

Crustacean Ecology

Investigations address the ecology, population dynamics, and conservation of the blue crab in Chesapeake Bay and spiny lobster in the Caribbean.

Fish Ecology

This program focuses on the behavior, habitat and ecological relationships of fishes. Our work is structured around a series of broad questions. Where do animals live, and in what habitats? How much territory do they require? What are their movements and migrations? How will they redistribute in the future? At what scales should we manage them? Work in the program occurs in coastal and open ocean environments, focusing on both teleost and elasmobranch fishes.

Fisheries Economics

This program investigates decision making, markets, and management of commercial and recreational fisheries. Emphasis is placed on the development and application of quantitative models which test economic hypotheses and provide information germane to the use and management of fishery resources. Research interests include bycatch and joint production, fleet structure and dynamics, fishing behavior and responses to management, product diversification and emerging fisheries, and interactions between fisheries and other ocean-based economic sectors such as offshore and wind energy.

Fisheries Ecosystem Modeling and Assessment Program

Areas of interest in this program include monitoring of the abundance, predator-prey, and competitive interactions among fish populations within Chesapeake Bay. Primary objectives of the program are the development of multispecies stock assessments for the purpose of understanding the joint impact of harvesting and biological interactions on these populations. Information derived from these assessments is designed to yield advice for ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management.

Fisheries Genetics

This program examines the application of molecular genetic techniques to address problems in fisheries science. Studies focus on analysis of stock structure, use of molecular characters to identify early life history stages of marine organisms, and the evaluation of taxonomic and biogeographic hypotheses with molecular genetic information.

Marine Conservation Biology

Areas of interest include the ecology and conservation of the blue crab, diamondback terrapin, sea turtles (loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley), Caribbean spiny lobster, queen conch, eastern oyster, and other marine bivalves. Emphasis is placed on metapopulation and source-sink dynamics, marine reserves and dispersal corridors, habitat fragmentation, degradation and loss effects on marine invertebrates, recruitment processes, and predator-prey interactions.

Marine Finfish Dynamics

Investigations focus on the recruitment dynamics of finfish in coastal ecosystems based on data from long-term bottom-trawl and beach seine surveys in Chesapeake Bay. A primary goal of these studies is to calculate recruitment indices to gauge the strength of the current year class and permit informed management of coastal fisheries. Another goal is to integrate observations from the surveys with field and laboratory research to understand large-scale patterns in the distribution and habitat use of coastal fishes. Such research may include individual-based behaviors as evidenced by acoustic tagging studies or physiological responses to habitat change.

Marine Population Dynamics

This program applies meta-population modeling, ecosystem modeling, species distribution modeling, statistical analysis of fisheries catch-effort data and coastal oceanography to understand the population dynamics, exploitation status and management implications of marine populations. Particular areas of focus are how larval dispersal and adult movement impact spatial management (e.g., MPAs) of marine species, community structure and global change resilience. Research includes work in both coastal and offshore environments, and has focused on a number of different taxonomic groups, including coastal fishes, tunas, marine mammals, sea turtles and coral reefs.

Marine Resource Policy and Fisheries Management

Research is performed to support determination of socially optimal rates of exploitation and optimum allocation of marine resources among competing user groups. Studies emphasize assessment and estimation of net social benefits to society and the economic impacts of proposed management and regulatory options. Additional research focuses on numerous international aspects of marine resource management, including, but not limited to, reducing the capture of sea turtles and other undesirable outputs, enhancing technical and economic efficiency of fishing gear, designing capacity reduction programs, and promoting ecosystem-based management.

Shellfish Aquaculture

Research includes all aspects of shellfish aquaculture as a tool for private production, fisheries enhancement and restoration. Research potentially includes any species of shellfish, with an emphasis on applied research and problem-solving.

Stock Assessment Methodology

This program involves the systematic evaluation of stock assessment procedures and the development of new mathematical models and statistical methods for studying populations and their responses to exploitation. Tagging, survey, and landings data are used  to estimate population size, mortality rates, components of mortality, yield, spawning potential, and effects of changes in fishery regulations. Applications include invertebrates and vertebrates in temperate and tropical sport and commercial fisheries.

Systematics and Taxonomy

Taxonomically diverse studies focus on the taxonomy, morphology, phylogenetic systematics, zoogeography and evolutionary biology of various vertebrate and invertebrate groups. The program promotes a total evidence approach to phylogenetic research, including molecular techniques and morphological studies of larval, juvenile and adult forms.