Large Pelagics Research Lab- bluefin tuna, leatherback turtles, climate change, Mola mola

	Molly Lutcavage, Ph.D. Director Large Pelagics Research Center
	Nuno M. Fragoso, M.Sc. Program Manager/Research Administrator In my present role I manage the daily operations of the Large Pelagic Research Center. I administer our extramural grants program, helping PI’s from various academic, industry and government institutions work in partnership with each other and within the UNH program. My scientific interests cover a broad range of disciplines from physiology to toxicology. I have performed research on the stress and survival of large pelagics from long-line gear to the toxic effects of contaminants on fresh water fish. nuno.fragoso _at_unh_dot_edu
	Jennifer Goldstein, M.Sc. My research interests are centered on the relationship between diet and reproductive condition of giant bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine. I am using fatty acid signature analysis to discern diet and overall condition of the Gulf of Maine migrants, combined with an assessment of changes in reproductive status over the fishing season, (June – November). Results will be synthesized to produce a foraging energetics model, and to begin to fill in the many gaps in knowledge regarding spawning site fidelity and age at first reproduction. My overlying goal is to improve management of this highly migratory species by contributing to our basic knowledge of its biology, and providing a sense of the bluefin tuna’s role in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. jennifer.goldstein_at_comcast_dot_net
	John Logan Ph.D. Student My current research interests include the trophic ecology of large pelagic fishes and the application of stable isotope analysis to ecological studies. My dissertation research is a combination of these primary interests that includes a broad analysis of diet, trophic position, and large scale movements of Atlantic bluefin tuna and other large pelagic fishes occupying poorly understood offshore ecosystems of the north Atlantic . I am combining conventional stomach content analysis (SCA) with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis (SIA) to create dietary profiles of large pelagic fishes over a range of time scales. SCA provides detailed local dietary snapshots while SIA applied to multiple tissue types can offer broader seasonal or annual dietary estimates. These data will be synthesized to further our understanding of pelagic food webs and the dominant forage species needed to support bluefin tuna and other Atlantic large pelagic fishes. In addition to applied ecological studies, my dissertation work also includes methods studies to improve ecological stable isotope analysis. My past research experiences have included a variety of marine and estuarine ecological studies. As an undergraduate at Colby College, I studied soft sediment marine invertebrate community ecology and fisheries impacts on these systems. Prior to my arrival at the Large Pelagics Lab, I also completed a two year research assistant position at the Ecosystems Center of the Marine Biological Laboratory focusing on salt marsh fish ecology and biogeochemistry. jmlogan _at_cisunix_dot_unh_dot_edu
	Ben Galuardi, M.S. Research Scientist My primary research interest is the integration of oceanography with spatial analysis and fisheries research. I recently completed a Master of Science degree in Zoology (May, 2006) through the Large Pelagics Research Lab at UNH. My research focused on the use of smoothed sea-surface temperature satellite imagery in a Kalman filter framework for geolocation correction of pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs). AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) imagery was smoothed using local regression techniques to investigate optimal scale in relation to bluefin tuna movement and tested against known locations of drifting PSATs. Prior to life at UNH, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (Northern Arizona University) and worked for several years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitoring native and endangered fish populations in the lower Colorado River basin including the Grand Canyon . My current and future interests include further integration of remote sensing techniques with large pelagic movements (including leatherback turtles!), spatial analysis of predator prey relationships, and refining open source tools for geolocation correction. galuardi _at_cisunix_dot_unh_dot_edu
	Walter Golet Ph.D. Student During the last 10-15 years the U.S. has consistently filled its ICCAT bluefin quota. However, in order to fill this quota the fishery has been extended well into the fall and now includes no closed days and a commercial fishery in North Carolina. Coinciding with the decrease in catch, fishermen and buyers have indicated that the condition of bluefin caught in the Gulf of Maine has also appeared to decline. One theory is that the forage base within the Gulf of Maine has changed, be it from environmental changes or fishing pressure and the once plentiful energy rich prey such as herring and mackerel are not as abundant in the traditional bluefin fishing grounds. To determine the extent to which herring influence the distribution of bluefin tuna in the Gulf Maine I plan to analyze a 40-year time series of herring indices (fishery dependant and independent data) of abundance against the available regional abundance information for bluefin tuna. Examining the extent of spatial and temporal patterns in abundance and distribution, along with environmental conditions, may identify a linkage between these highly valuable pelagic species and help explain the bluefins decline in the Gulf of Maine. In addition, I will examine fin rays, vertebrae, tuna grades and length weight data in an effort to determine if the growth and quality of bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine has shifted over this same time period. wgolet_at_cisunix_dot_unh_dot_edu
	Kara Dwyer Dodge Ph.D. Student There is currently little known about leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) outside of their nesting beaches, leaving large data gaps in our understanding of males and non-nesting stages of females. These data gaps have been recognized as limiting factors in establishing recovery plans for these endangered sea turtles. As a graduate student within the UNH Zoology department, I will conduct in-water research on leatherback turtles in the northwest Atlantic. My research objectives include the investigation of leatherback turtle regional behavior and movements and identification of long range travel in relation to environmental conditions. Our research methods will include direct capture of leatherback turtles and satellite tagging, tracking, and data analysis to answer research questions. In particular, we plan to use high resolution GPS-linked satellite tags in order to more accurately overlay turtle movement with oceanographic parameters and fishing activities.Prior to joining the Large Pelagics Research Lab, I worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service for 2 years on fisheries acoustic research (primarily Atlantic herring) and for 4 years on marine mammal and marine turtle stranding and entanglement issues in the northeast region (ME to VA). kara.dodge_at_unh_dot_edu
	Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D. Professor of Natural Resources and EOS Dr. Rosenberg, who became UNH dean in August 2000, has had a distinguished career in the marine sciences. As former deputy director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Rosenberg was a key agency policymaker and liaison to Congress, senior levels of the administration, resource management partners, and the public. This post followed ten years with the National Marine Fisheries Service, where he was Northeast regional administrator and chief of research coordination in Maryland and Massachusetts. In this position he played a major role in developing and implementing recovery plans for New England fisheries which now are showing improvements on the George's Bank and other fishing grounds. Dr. Rosenberg also implemented protection plans for marine mammals such as harbor porpoise and right whales, and endangered species like Atlantic salmon. Dr. Rosenberg has been appointed by the President and U.S. Secretary of Commerce to head numerous delegations over the years, including as commissioner and head of delegation to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. He also has served as U.S. delegate to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Committee on Fisheries.
	Inga Potter Ph.D. Student My research interests involve studying aspects of the biology, movement, and behavior of the ocean sunfish, Mola mola. A large, oceanic fish with a unique appearance, the ocean sunfish is distributed world wide, yet its biology is poorly understood. It makes up a significant portion of bycatch in commercial fisheries and is a valued food fish in Asia. Presently, there is no record of the status of M. mola populations in any part of the world so researchers have no idea how the global population is faring. The objectives of my project are to examine the movement and behavior of Mola mola off the northeast coast of the United States and to determine its general distribution in the region. To achieve these objectives, we are attaching pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT's) to ocean sunfish off of Cape Cod and in the Gulf of Maine during the summer months. The tags remain attached to the fish for a predetermined amount of time and store information including light levels, depth, and temperature preferences. This data enables us to track each animal's movement and examine its behavior. The present study is the first to examine Mola mola in the northwest Atlantic , and one of few that have applied PSAT technology to the species. Results of the study will provide information about the movement and behavior of ocean sunfish in the region, and in addition will contribute to our understanding of its global population dynamics and biology. It will also help determine what, if any, management strategy is necessary to protect it. inga.potter_at_unh_dot_edu
	W. Hunt Howell Professor of Zoology, UNH My research is in the area of fisheries science and aquaculture. Recent and current large pelagic studies in my lab include the age and growth of the tiger shark (MS thesis project of Jeff Kneebone), and the distribution and migration of the ocean sunfish in the north Atlantic (PhD thesis project of Inga Potter).
	Becca Toppin Research Assistant I assist with essential functions of the lab including data management, primary literature research, permit writing, IACUC applications, undergraduate management, sample processing, upkeep of the website, organization of scientific meetings, and communication with collaborators. My current research focus is stomach contents analysis of several pelagic fish species collected on cruises conducted in the central North Atlantic Ocean in 2002. This is a continuation of a large scale project identifying pelagic and prey species in the open ocean. Very recently, I have signed on to help complete the bluefin tuna fatty acid analysis research, to discern diet and foraging ecology of bluefin tuna in the northeast. In my other functions at the University of New Hampshire, I am an adjunct faculty member in the Kinesiology Department, teaching basic SCUBA in the undergraduate academic program. I also serve as the Diving Safety Officer of the Shoals Marine Laboratory, a collaborative marine lab run by UNH and Cornell University. I am responsible for the scientific diving program there. becca.toppin_at_unh_dot_edu
	Andy Myers Post Doctoral Fellow During my Ph.D. (completed February 2006) I investigated the behavior of leatherback turtles during the period between nesting events. This was achieved by attaching archiving dive computers and mouth sensors during a nesting event and recovering the devices on a subsequent nesting event. All of this work was conducted on Grenada, West Indies and focused on the stage of the life cycle of the leatherback where behavior is somewhat anomalous due to a scarcity of food and a necessity to apportion considerable energy for reproductive investment. Primarily my role at the Large Pelagics Research Lab will be to develop the analytical techniques used during my Ph.D. to fill in the gaps in the knowledge regarding leatherback behavior in cooler waters (where food is more abundant). I will be working with Kara and researchers from the New England Aquarium in an effort to increase global understanding of the charismatic leatherback turtle, particularly in relation to fisheries interaction. andy.myers_at_unh_dot_edu
	Jessie Knapp Ph.D student My primary research interest is in the reproductive physiology and ecology of Atlantic bluefin tuna. For my Ph.D. research I plan to study the size and age at maturity of bluefin from the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Our understanding of the reproductive ecology and schedules of spawning bluefin tuna is lacking. I will analyze dorsal spines and use histological analyses of gonads in order to determine the size and age of reproductively mature fish from the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, and the Mediterranean over a several year time span. My research will fill the gap in knowledge about the differences and similarities in the reproductive schedules of the Atlantic bluefin tuna. In addition to the research I will be conducting for my Ph.D., I am concurrently working towards a Masters in Statistics. Prior to arriving at the Large Pelagics Research Lab (August 2006), I worked in the freshwater environment. My Master's thesis (completed 2005) examined the role of substrate heterogeneity on the distribution of epiphytic diatoms in alpine streams. I also conducted research on the swimming patterns and recovery time of fish when exposed to flow turbulence. jessie.knapp_at_unh_dot_edu
	Gilad Heinisch Ph.D Student I joined the Large Pelagics Research Center in last fall, working on reproductive physiology and puberty of western Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT). I was trained and have worked at the Israeli National Center for Mariculture. The work included fish physiology, especially endocrinology of growth and reproduction, and fish pathology. During the last five years I have been involved in a research on ABFT in the Mediterranean Sea, working with captive brood stock sampling and analysis of wild ABFT gonadal maturation across the Mediterranean Sea . gilad.heinisch_at_unh_dot_edu

Molly Lutcavage, Ph.D.

Director

Large Pelagics Research Center

Nuno M. Fragoso, M.Sc.
Program Manager/Research Administrator

In my present role I manage the daily operations of the Large Pelagic Research Center. I administer our extramural grants program, helping PI’s from various academic, industry and government institutions work in partnership with each other and within the UNH program. My scientific interests cover a broad range of disciplines from physiology to toxicology. I have performed research on the stress and survival of large pelagics from long-line gear to the toxic effects of contaminants on fresh water fish.

nuno.fragoso _at_unh_dot_edu

Jennifer Goldstein, M.Sc.

My research interests are centered on the relationship between diet and reproductive condition of giant bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine. I am using fatty acid signature analysis to discern diet and overall condition of the Gulf of Maine migrants, combined with an assessment of changes in reproductive status over the fishing season, (June – November). Results will be synthesized to produce a foraging energetics model, and to begin to fill in the many gaps in knowledge regarding spawning site fidelity and age at first reproduction. My overlying goal is to improve management of this highly migratory species by contributing to our basic knowledge of its biology, and providing a sense of the bluefin tuna’s role in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.

jennifer.goldstein_at_comcast_dot_net

John Logan
Ph.D. Student

My current research interests include the trophic ecology of large pelagic fishes and the application of stable isotope analysis to ecological studies. My dissertation research is a combination of these primary interests that includes a broad analysis of diet, trophic position, and large scale movements of Atlantic bluefin tuna and other large pelagic fishes occupying poorly understood offshore ecosystems of the north Atlantic . I am combining conventional stomach content analysis (SCA) with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis (SIA) to create dietary profiles of large pelagic fishes over a range of time scales. SCA provides detailed local dietary snapshots while SIA applied to multiple tissue types can offer broader seasonal or annual dietary estimates. These data will be synthesized to further our understanding of pelagic food webs and the dominant forage species needed to support bluefin tuna and other Atlantic large pelagic fishes. In addition to applied ecological studies, my dissertation work also includes methods studies to improve ecological stable isotope analysis.

My past research experiences have included a variety of marine and estuarine ecological studies. As an undergraduate at Colby College, I studied soft sediment marine invertebrate community ecology and fisheries impacts on these systems. Prior to my arrival at the Large Pelagics Lab, I also completed a two year research assistant position at the Ecosystems Center of the Marine Biological Laboratory focusing on salt marsh fish ecology and biogeochemistry.

jmlogan _at_cisunix_dot_unh_dot_edu

Ben Galuardi, M.S.
Research Scientist

My primary research interest is the integration of oceanography with spatial analysis and fisheries research. I recently completed a Master of Science degree in Zoology (May, 2006) through the Large Pelagics Research Lab at UNH. My research focused on the use of smoothed sea-surface temperature satellite imagery in a Kalman filter framework for geolocation correction of pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs). AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) imagery was smoothed using local regression techniques to investigate optimal scale in relation to bluefin tuna movement and tested against known locations of drifting PSATs. Prior to life at UNH, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (Northern Arizona University) and worked for several years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitoring native and endangered fish populations in the lower Colorado River basin including the Grand Canyon . My current and future interests include further integration of remote sensing techniques with large pelagic movements (including leatherback turtles!), spatial analysis of predator prey relationships, and refining open source tools for geolocation correction.

galuardi _at_cisunix_dot_unh_dot_edu

Walter Golet
Ph.D. Student

During the last 10-15 years the U.S. has consistently filled its ICCAT bluefin quota. However, in order to fill this quota the fishery has been extended well into the fall and now includes no closed days and a commercial fishery in North Carolina. Coinciding with the decrease in catch, fishermen and buyers have indicated that the condition of bluefin caught in the Gulf of Maine has also appeared to decline. One theory is that the forage base within the Gulf of Maine has changed, be it from environmental changes or fishing pressure and the once plentiful energy rich prey such as herring and mackerel are not as abundant in the traditional bluefin fishing grounds. To determine the extent to which herring influence the distribution of bluefin tuna in the Gulf Maine I plan to analyze a 40-year time series of herring indices (fishery dependant and independent data) of abundance against the available regional abundance information for bluefin tuna. Examining the extent of spatial and temporal patterns in abundance and distribution, along with environmental conditions, may identify a linkage between these highly valuable pelagic species and help explain the bluefins decline in the Gulf of Maine. In addition, I will examine fin rays, vertebrae, tuna grades and length weight data in an effort to determine if the growth and quality of bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine has shifted over this same time period.

wgolet_at_cisunix_dot_unh_dot_edu

Kara Dwyer Dodge
Ph.D. Student

There is currently little known about leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) outside of their nesting beaches, leaving large data gaps in our understanding of males and non-nesting stages of females. These data gaps have been recognized as limiting factors in establishing recovery plans for these endangered sea turtles. As a graduate student within the UNH Zoology department, I will conduct in-water research on leatherback turtles in the northwest Atlantic. My research objectives include the investigation of leatherback turtle regional behavior and movements and identification of long range travel in relation to environmental conditions. Our research methods will include direct capture of leatherback turtles and satellite tagging, tracking, and data analysis to answer research questions. In particular, we plan to use high resolution GPS-linked satellite tags in order to more accurately overlay turtle movement with oceanographic parameters and fishing activities.Prior to joining the Large Pelagics Research Lab, I worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service for 2 years on fisheries acoustic research (primarily Atlantic herring) and for 4 years on marine mammal and marine turtle stranding and entanglement issues in the northeast region (ME to VA).

kara.dodge_at_unh_dot_edu

Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Professor of Natural Resources and EOS

Dr. Rosenberg, who became UNH dean in August 2000, has had a distinguished career in the marine sciences. As former deputy director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Rosenberg was a key agency policymaker and liaison to Congress, senior levels of the administration, resource management partners, and the public. This post followed ten years with the National Marine Fisheries Service, where he was Northeast regional administrator and chief of research coordination in Maryland and Massachusetts. In this position he played a major role in developing and implementing recovery plans for New England fisheries which now are showing improvements on the George's Bank and other fishing grounds. Dr. Rosenberg also implemented protection plans for marine mammals such as harbor porpoise and right whales, and endangered species like Atlantic salmon.

Dr. Rosenberg has been appointed by the President and U.S. Secretary of Commerce to head numerous delegations over the years, including as commissioner and head of delegation to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. He also has served as U.S. delegate to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Committee on Fisheries.

Inga Potter
Ph.D. Student

My research interests involve studying aspects of the biology, movement, and behavior of the ocean sunfish, Mola mola. A large, oceanic fish with a unique appearance, the ocean sunfish is distributed world wide, yet its biology is poorly understood. It makes up a significant portion of bycatch in commercial fisheries and is a valued food fish in Asia. Presently, there is no record of the status of M. mola populations in any part of the world so researchers have no idea how the global population is faring. The objectives of my project are to examine the movement and behavior of Mola mola off the northeast coast of the United States and to determine its general distribution in the region. To achieve these objectives, we are attaching pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT's) to ocean sunfish off of Cape Cod and in the Gulf of Maine during the summer months. The tags remain attached to the fish for a predetermined amount of time and store information including light levels, depth, and temperature preferences. This data enables us to track each animal's movement and examine its behavior. The present study is the first to examine Mola mola in the northwest Atlantic , and one of few that have applied PSAT technology to the species. Results of the study will provide information about the movement and behavior of ocean sunfish in the region, and in addition will contribute to our understanding of its global population dynamics and biology. It will also help determine what, if any, management strategy is necessary to protect it.

inga.potter_at_unh_dot_edu

W. Hunt Howell
Professor of Zoology, UNH

My research is in the area of fisheries science and aquaculture. Recent and current large pelagic studies in my lab include the age and growth of the tiger shark (MS thesis project of Jeff Kneebone), and the distribution and migration of the ocean sunfish in the north Atlantic (PhD thesis project of Inga Potter).

Becca Toppin
Research Assistant

I assist with essential functions of the lab including data management, primary literature research, permit writing, IACUC applications, undergraduate management, sample processing, upkeep of the website, organization of scientific meetings, and communication with collaborators. My current research focus is stomach contents analysis of several pelagic fish species collected on cruises conducted in the central North Atlantic Ocean in 2002. This is a continuation of a large scale project identifying pelagic and prey species in the open ocean. Very recently, I have signed on to help complete the bluefin tuna fatty acid analysis research, to discern diet and foraging ecology of bluefin tuna in the northeast.

In my other functions at the University of New Hampshire, I am an adjunct faculty member in the Kinesiology Department, teaching basic SCUBA in the undergraduate academic program. I also serve as the Diving Safety Officer of the Shoals Marine Laboratory, a collaborative marine lab run by UNH and Cornell University. I am responsible for the scientific diving program there.

becca.toppin_at_unh_dot_edu

Andy Myers
Post Doctoral Fellow

During my Ph.D. (completed February 2006) I investigated the behavior of leatherback turtles during the period between nesting events. This was achieved by attaching archiving dive computers and mouth sensors during a nesting event and recovering the devices on a subsequent nesting event. All of this work was conducted on Grenada, West Indies and focused on the stage of the life cycle of the leatherback where behavior is somewhat anomalous due to a scarcity of food and a necessity to apportion considerable energy for reproductive investment. Primarily my role at the Large Pelagics Research Lab will be to develop the analytical techniques used during my Ph.D. to fill in the gaps in the knowledge regarding leatherback behavior in cooler waters (where food is more abundant). I will be working with Kara and researchers from the New England Aquarium in an effort to increase global understanding of the charismatic leatherback turtle, particularly in relation to fisheries interaction.

andy.myers_at_unh_dot_edu

Jessie Knapp
Ph.D student

My primary research interest is in the reproductive physiology and ecology of Atlantic bluefin tuna. For my Ph.D. research I plan to study the size and age at maturity of bluefin from the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Our understanding of the reproductive ecology and schedules of spawning bluefin tuna is lacking. I will analyze dorsal spines and use histological analyses of gonads in order to determine the size and age of reproductively mature fish from the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, and the Mediterranean over a several year time span. My research will fill the gap in knowledge about the differences and similarities in the reproductive schedules of the Atlantic bluefin tuna. In addition to the research I will be conducting for my Ph.D., I am concurrently working towards a Masters in Statistics.

Prior to arriving at the Large Pelagics Research Lab (August 2006), I worked in the freshwater environment. My Master's thesis (completed 2005) examined the role of substrate heterogeneity on the distribution of epiphytic diatoms in alpine streams. I also conducted research on the swimming patterns and recovery time of fish when exposed to flow turbulence.

jessie.knapp_at_unh_dot_edu

Gilad Heinisch
Ph.D Student

I joined the Large Pelagics Research Center in last fall, working on reproductive physiology and puberty of western Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT).

I was trained and have worked at the Israeli National Center for Mariculture. The work included fish physiology, especially endocrinology of growth and reproduction, and fish pathology.

During the last five years I have been involved in a research on ABFT in the Mediterranean Sea, working with captive brood stock sampling and analysis of wild ABFT gonadal maturation across the Mediterranean Sea .

gilad.heinisch_at_unh_dot_edu