President: Rosanne MacFarlane
Rosie MacFarlane is currently employed as a Freshwater Fisheries Biologist with the Prince Edward Island Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action’s Forest Fish and Wildlife Division. She is a graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island and Acadia University. Rosie began working in the fisheries and watershed management world in 1990 and has been the provincial freshwater fisheries biologist since 2003. Rosie’s involvement with the Atlantic International Chapter of the American Fisheries Society started in 2005 at the meeting held in Rangely, Maine. She believes that one of the most important benefits of AFS involvement is the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the region. “PEI is a small province, but it always amazes me how similar its fisheries management issues are to larger provinces and states. I learn a lot from attending the AGMs and have often called on people I have met at these meetings when seeking advice on particular projects or concerns.”
Email: [email protected]
Vice President: Levi Brown
Levi is currently a Fisheries Scientist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VFWD) working in the St. Johnsbury office. Originally from Weathersfield, Vermont, Levi spent his time outside of school and extracurriculars exploring the woods and swamps around his house, trying to catch anything that crawled, slinked, or slithered. His love of the outdoors eventually led him to pursue a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont, where he graduated in 2016. After graduation, Levi was initially focused on pursuing a career studying reptiles and amphibians but accepted a seasonal fisheries job with VFWD working to improve Brook Trout habitat and assist with monitoring fish populations in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. It was this opportunity that convinced Levi that he belonged in the world of fisheries. After working several more years seasonally for VFWD, Levi obtained his M.Sc. from West Virginia University, where he studied the population dynamics of black bass in the Ohio River and its major tributaries. From there, Levi accepted his current position with VFWD in 2022, where he now assists district biologists with fisheries monitoring, habitat enhancement, angler outreach, and other various duties. In his free time, Levi enjoys exploring his new surroundings in northeastern Vermont, where he hopes to make many lasting memories with his family.
Email: [email protected]
Past President: Tyson Morrill
Tyson Morrill grew up and still resides in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire where fishing, hunting, and trapping sparked a curiosity for the outdoors. A naturalist mentality grew while working seasonally in fisheries techniques while pursuing a B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences with a Wildlife focus from Paul Smith’s College in New York’s Adirondack mountains. Tyson’s early career focused on human-wildlife conflict mitigation and disease monitoring ranging from Alaska to Vermont before transitioning to fisheries research back in New Hampshire. Along the White Mountains, he established a long-term ecological monitoring project studying wild Brook Trout movement and demographics prior to culvert barrier removal, leading to a M.S. in Biology and ArcGIS certificate from Plymouth State University. His project management grew while directing the regional Conservation program on ‘Golden Pond’ (Squam Lakes) which ranged from year-round water quality monitoring, to dive crews removing invasive milfoil. At present, Tyson is the Restoration Project Manager at the Merrimack River Watershed Council where he implements projects focusing on source water protection, riparian restoration, and a growing focus on large-scale fish passage challenges across NH and MA. Becoming a liaison between adverse stakeholders within both professional and volunteer roles has produced a unique skillset that he utilizes to promote an appreciation for nature, and enact change. In his free time, Tyson volunteers as a Representative on the Pemigewasset River Local River Advisory Committee, Director of the NH Trappers Association, and serves on the Governor’s Commission for the Humane Treatment of Animals; and remains immersed in every New England season- foraging for edible plants, gardening, harvesting wild game, and chasing the ‘big one’ while ice fishing during the winter months.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (978) 655-4742, x704
Secretary / Treasurer: Dr. Scott Pavey
Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
University of New Brunswick • Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd., Saint John, NB E2L4L5 CANADA
Ph: 506 638-2434 Email: [email protected]
Office: CRI 129 Lab: CRI 215
University of Maine Student Subunit President: Gregory Kronisch
I am a PhD student at the University of Maine, co-advised by Drs. Michael Kinnison and Nathan Furey (University of New Hampshire). My dissertation focuses on diet, movements, and habitat use of landlocked Arctic charr in the context of climate change. Prior to my PhD, I completed my MS at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) on the changing fish assemblage structure in a eutrophic lake undergoing remediation. However, I developed my background in movement ecology at US Fish and Wildlife Service, where I studied movement patterns of lake sturgeon in the Niagara River and helped manage large acoustic telemetry networks in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
While I had originally finished my undergrad intent on being a chemical limnologist, the connections that I had through AFS helped me get my first job out of school which led to a major refocus of my career. Now as the UMaine subunit president I hope to bring ideas from my time with the New York chapter and SUNY ESF subunit to help getting students practical experience and help them build relationships with professionals in our field.
If you want to learn more about the UMaine Subunit send us an email at [email protected] and follow us on our Instagram and Facebook.
University of New Hampshire Subunit President: Nathan Hermann
I am currently a Masters student at the University of New Hampshire, but have also accepted an offer to stay for a PhD both advised by Nathan Furey. My current research focuses on understanding the impact of seasonal change on fish movement and feeding ecology using sculpin in the high Canadian Arctic as a model system. I have done so combining summertime diet studies with year-round acoustic telemetry to compare the behavior of fish under sea-ice to those exploiting the pulse of summer resources. My interests in this area stem from my desire to comprehend the often-shrouded lives of fish and aquatic life generally and to advocate for their protection. With my PhD work, I hope to expand my quantitative skillset by incorporating mixed predator-prey interactions into an integrated forecast of the Gulf of Maine community given rapidly advancing climate change in the area. I hope my involvement with AFS can help grant me in-depth experiences with all manner of fish and fisheries researchers and to carry through from theoretical to applied knowledge.
Get in touch with us at: [email protected]
Quebec Student Subunit President: Miguel Eduardo L. Felismino
I am a PhD student at McGill University with broad interests in ecotoxicology and freshwater ecology. I am co-supervised by Dr. Irene Gregory Eaves (Biology) and Dr. Nathalie Tufenkji (Chemical Engineering). For my dissertation I am focusing on the degradation and ecotoxicology of plastic films typically used as mulch in agricultural lands. I want to further understand how these plastics can infiltrate aquatic systems and disrupt aquatic communities. Previously, I completed my MSc at Concordia University with Dr. Grant Brown. There, I studied the sublethal effects of polyethylene microplastics on populations of freshwater fish. As is obvious with my academic projects, my passion is in ensuring the health of aquatic systems worldwide and protecting them from anthropogenic pressures. I hope to share my work in both academic and public settings to improve society’s awareness to these issues. My involvement with AFS helps me pursue that passion and be surrounded by people with similar goals.
If you would like to contact the Quebec Student Subunit Executive Committee, you can reach us at [email protected] or visit http://linktr.ee/afsqc for our social media information.
