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Announcements

Book Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Missouri Chapter

The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future -Teddy Roosevelt What Teddy said about knowing the past to prepare for the future also applies to MOAFS. In that regard, I am pleased to announce the upcoming publication for release, Still Hooked: Our First Fifty Years, a compilation of the history of the Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. It is the result of many years of hard labor by our own Joe G. Dillard to compile, organize, and summarize thousands of pages of documents, hundreds of photographs, and his own formidable institutional memory into a single volume. Joe was assisted by History Committee members Amanda Rosenberger and Emily Tracy-Smith. I sincerely hope it can be utilized by current and future members of MOAFS, and other state chapters looking to build upon our legacy, learn from our successes and failures, and examine their own history and evolution. In Still Hooked, you will find records of our beginnings, officers, subunits, awards, and annual meetings. In addition, our major milestones and significant accomplishments are summarized on a year-by-year basis. The book culminates with a summary of our 50th anniversary celebration and a reflection on the future of MOAFS by our own Greg Pitchford, a former president and guest author. As Sydney Stephens, one of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s founding fathers, said, “No organization, whether governmental or public-private, is worth a damn unless it develops a history, a philosophy, and guiding ethics.” I hope by delving into this volume, you will gain insight into all three. —Clint Hale, MOAFS President, 2018-2019 This 288-page soft cover book is available from Joe G. Dillard. You may contact him at [email protected] or 3535 West Arbor Way Columbia MO 65203. The price is $15 in person or $18 if mailed. You can reserve a copy to be delivered at the upcoming MOAFS annual meeting. If you want to pay in advance for your copy to be delivered at meeting, please make out the check to Joe G. Dillard and mail it to him at 3535 West Arbor Way, Columbia MO 65203. Otherwise, you can just show up with your $15 in hand. For those of you who just can’t wait, please send him a check for $18 and an address to send it to. Joe has graciously offered to remit all profits to MOAFS. Help support MOAFS with your purchase. The more you buy the more we get!

October 30, 2018 No Comments

Annual Meeting

Free Access to AFS Award-winning Papers

During the month of September, enjoy free access to Best Paper Award winners. The awards were presented at the AFS Annual Meeting in Atlantic City in August. The Robert L. Kendall Best Paper in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, accepted by Tiffany E. Vidal from AFS President Steve McMullin Using Variance Structure to Quantify Responses to Perturbation in Fish Catches, by Tiffany E. Vidal, Brian J. Irwin, Tyler Wagner, Lars G. Rudstam, James R. Jackson, and James R. Bence. The Mercer Patriarche Best Paper in North American Journal of Fisheries Management, accepted by Nicholas G. Feltz (right) from AFS President Steve McMullin Statistical Catch‐Free Age‐Structured Assessment to Estimate Year‐Class Strength for Inland Recreational Fisheries: A Largemouth Bass Example, by Nicholas G. Feltz and Matthew J. Catalano. Best Paper in the Journal of Marine and Coastal Fisheries, accepted by Kim De Mutsert from AFS President Steve McMullin Recommendations on the Use of Ecosystem Modeling for Informing Ecosystem‐Based Fisheries Management and Restoration Outcomes in the Gulf of Mexico, by Arnaud Grüss, Kenneth A. Rose, James Simons, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Elizabeth A. Babcock, David D. Chagaris, Kim De Mutsert, John Froeschke, Peter Himchak, Isaac C. Kaplan, Halie O’Farrell, and Manuel J. Zetina Rejon. Best Paper in the North American Journal of Aquaculture Xenogenesis‐Production of Channel Catfish × Blue Catfish Hybrid Progeny by Fertilization of Channel Catfish Eggs with Sperm from Triploid Channel Catfish Males with Transplanted Blue Catfish Germ Cells, by Dayan A. Perera, Ahmed Alsaqufi, Mei Shang, Donny C. Wade, Baofeng Su, Ahmed Elaswad, Michael Fobes, Renee Beam, Gemerlyn Garcia, David A. Dunn, Elizabeth A. Lipke, and Rex A. Dunham. Best Paper in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health Optimization of a Plaque Neutralization Test (PNT) to Identify the Exposure History of Pacific Herring to Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV), by Lucas M. Hart, Ashley MacKenzie, Maureen K. Purcell, Rachel L. Powers, and Paul K. Hershberger.

September 14, 2018 No Comments

Announcements

New AFS Journal Editors-in-Chief

One the primary recommendations of a special publications workshop held in May 2017 in Reno, Nevada, was the creation of Editor-in-Chief (EIC) positions for four of the AFS journals. EIC duties include assigning manuscripts to the appropriate Editor and Associate Editor, recruiting and mentoring Editors and Associate Editors, soliciting manuscripts, ensuring that journal objectives and mission are met, and making recommendations to enhance the vitality and prestige of the journal. The following have been appointed EIC: Derek Aday (North Carolina State University), Transactions of the American Fisheries Society Daniel J. Daugherty (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department), North American Journal of Fisheries Management Debra J. Murie (University of Florida, Gainesville), Marine and Coastal Fisheries Jeff Schaeffer (USGS Great Lakes Science Center), Fisheries magazine Additionally, a “Features Editor” has been appointed for Transactions. Stephen R. Midway (Louisiana State University) will recruit high impact, high visibility papers.

June 20, 2018 No Comments

Fisheries Magazine

Photography Interview with Todd Pearsons

Check out this interview with Todd Pearsons where he talks about how he got started in photography and how he captures such amazing shots here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsh.10040

April 2, 2018 No Comments

Announcements

Thank you, Tom Bigford

With the new year comes bittersweet news from AFS headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland: Tom Bigford is retiring as Director of Policy, with Drue Winters taking his place at the helm. “While Tom will continue to participate in AFS activities as a member of the Society, his invaluable expertise and persona will be greatly missed. Tom has worked tirelessly to advance the policy priorities of AFS and has employed his measured, balanced style in a way that has impressed our partners in government and NGO sectors equally,” said AFS Executive Director Doug Austen. A 2017 AFS Meritorious Service Award recipient, Tom has been an American Fisheries Society (AFS) member since 1973. Throughout his years with AFS, he has made impressive contributions to the Society. He is a member of eight AFS sections, past chair and longtime member of the Resource Policy Committee, past president of the Fish Habitat Section, and was a regular contributor to columns in Fisheries magazine. The Meritorious Service Award is awarded to an individual for unswerving loyalty, dedication, and meritorious service to the Society over a long time; and for exceptional commitment to the Society’s programs, ideals, objectives, and goals. Tom is a member of the Board of Directors and past President of The Coastal Society (TCS). Tom has been a member of TCS since 1976, and formerly served as Secretary, Executive Director, Director, publications editor, and conference program chair. He has been the AFS liaison to TCS for more than a decade. During that time, one of his primary TCS missions was to inspire partnerships with AFS and other aquatic societies. Initiatives included bringing AFS and TCS to the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation’s biennial conference in November 2015 for a special session on fisheries in coastal watersheds and co-editing a special issue of the official TCS journal, Coastal Management. For the past three years, Tom served as Policy Director for AFS. In that capacity, he worked tirelessly with the Resource Policy Committee and AFS leadership to completely re-engineer the AFS policy voice. Tom also served as the coordinator for the Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies, a critical partnership group of now nine professional societies banded together to work on issues that affect our nation’s aquatic resources. The CASS partnership has grown significantly under his mentorship from five to nine science societies Tom has also built successful partnerships with key federal agencies including U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, BLM, and USFWS. Through his relationships with the AFS policy fellows, AFS has a reputation for convening high quality, scientifically sound Congressional briefings on a wide variety of topics. Prior to working at AFS, Tom was chief of the Habitat Protection Division at the Office of Habitat Conservation at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) for 18 years, earning a Gold Medal and two Silver Medals for meritorious service during his tenure at NOAA. Tom is a role model for a career that has been impactful, contributed to the well-being of others, and has made a significant difference to the future of our aquatic resources. One of Tom’s major projects to keep him busy in retirement is to earn his Master Gardener certificate so that he can continue to contribute to people in yet another positive manner.

January 4, 2018 No Comments

In Memoriam: Angelo Incerpi

Angelo Incerpi, 77, died unexpectedly while working in his barn on December 30, 2017. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He began his post-secondary education at the University of Idaho (Moscow) and later transferred to the University of Maine (Orono) and received a B.S. degree in wildlife and fisheries management in 1963. Incerpi married Virginia A. Ricciarelli in 1963 and they shared over 54 years of marriage together. He worked as a fisheries biologist in Maine until moving to Danville, Vermont, in 1967 to work for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department where he was employed until his retirement as director of operations in 2002. Incerpi was active in numerous professional and local organizations promoting fishery and wildlife management; he believed strongly in the encouragement of youth in the outdoors. He was a lifelong hunter, fisherman, and overall outdoor enthusiast. He spent many hours tying flies and doing fine woodcarving which he generously would donate to raise money for wildlife and habitat conservation. He was an avid BMW motorcyclist and served on the Motorcycle Advisory Committee for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. He was currently a Danville Selectboard member and served on the Planning Commission. He served many years on the Board of Directors for the Bird Museum of Vermont. He was elected into the National Fisheries Hall of Excellence of the AFS Fisheries Management Section and received recognition as an exemplary cooperator of the Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit of the U.S. Geological Survey. This spring he will be awarded the Northeast Fisheries Administrators Association Career Achievement Award. He is the first ever recipient of this award, which will be named in his honor as the “Angelo Incerpi Conservation Award for Lifetime Achievement.” He was an active member and leader in the American Fisheries Society and within the AFS Northeast Division. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Angelo Incerpi Memorial Fund to Support Vermont Conservation Camps for youth. Checks can be made out to VT Fish & Wildlife and mailed to their offices to the attention of Susan Warner at 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2, Montpelier, Vermont 05620-3702.

January 2, 2018 No Comments

In Memoriam: Saul Saila, Ph.D.

Saul B. Saila, 94, died on December 10th in Vallejo, California. Saila was professor emeritus of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island (URI) after 35 years as a faculty member. As one of the early faculty members at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO), he had a profound impact on the development of the institution and the many students that he influenced during his tenure. Saila served in the U.S. Army, 100th Infantry, Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, from 1942 to 1946. He was wounded in the Allied invasion of Italy and was a prisoner of war in Germany. Following the war, he returned to the United States to continue his education. Saila received a B.S. in agronomy in 1949 from URI and a M.S. (1950) in limnology and Ph.D. (1952) in fishery biology from Cornell University. Saila worked as a fisheries biologist for the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Game before his appointment as assistant professor of marine biology at URI in 1956, followed by promotion to associate professor of marine biology in 1961 and full professor of oceanography and zoology in 1967. He was one of the first to recognize the importance of computers at URI and, as director of the URI Computer Laboratory, he brought the first mainframe computer to URI and pioneered the use of computation in marine biology. As a URI faculty member, he developed the course “Fish Population Dynamics,” which is still taught today. Revered and respected as an oceanography professor, he was a major professor of over 75 graduate students and served on over 50 other graduate student committees. Starting in 1951, Saila authored or coauthored over 88 scientific publications. He established the Marine Experiment Station at URI, modeled on the agricultural experiment stations of land grant colleges. Saila made important contributions to a broad range of research topics including multispecies and ecosystem modeling, complex nonlinear dynamics, and uncertainty theory. During sabbatical leaves, he was a visiting professor at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in New Zealand, and the University of Tokyo. He considered his most rewarding accomplishments lecturing and consulting in numerous countries and training international students at URI. Countries that he visited as part of his collaborative research included Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Azores, and many others. Saila was a member of the American Fisheries Society, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council, among other organizations. Saila was the recipient of the prestigious Award of Excellence by the American Fisheries Society in 2001, which is the oldest major AFS award and the most prestigious presented to an individual. He also received the AFS Excellence in Fisheries Education Award in 1989, and in 1994 he received the Oscar E. Sette Award for outstanding marine fisheries biologist from the Marine Fisheries Section of AFS. Professor Saila retired from GSO in 1988. After retirement, he remained active in scientific research and especially as a member of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association. A memorial service has not been planned as of yet. We send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. — Bruce H. Corliss, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island

December 19, 2017 No Comments

Annual Meeting

Tom Bigford Honored with American Fisheries Society Meritorious Service Award

Former NOAA Medal Recipient, Current AFS Policy Director Given Special Recognition (Tampa, FL) August 22, 2017 – This year’s Meritorious Service Award recipient, Tom Bigford, has been an American Fisheries Society (AFS) member since 1973. Throughout his years with AFS, he has made impressive contributions to the Society. He is a member of eight AFS sections, past chair and longtime member of the Resource Policy Committee, past president of the Fish Habitat Section and is a regular contributor to columns in Fisheries magazine. The Meritorious Service Award is awarded to an individual for unswerving loyalty, dedication, and meritorious service to the Society over a long time; and for exceptional commitment to the Society’s programs, ideals, objectives, and goals. Tom is a member of the Board of Directors and past President of The Coastal Society (TCS). Tom, has been a member of TCS since 1976, and formerly served as Secretary, Executive Director, Director, publications editor, and conference program chair. He’s been the AFS liaison to TCS for more than a decade. During that time, one of his primary TCS missions was to inspire partnerships with AFS and other aquatic societies. Initiatives included bringing AFS and TCS to the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation’s biennial conference in November 2015 for a special session on fisheries in coastal watersheds and co-editing a special issue of the official TCS journal, Coastal Management. For the past three years, Tom been served as Policy Director for AFS. In that capacity, he has worked tirelessly with the Resource Policy Committee and AFS leadership to completely re-engineer the AFS policy voice. Tom is now serving as the coordinator for the Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies, a critical partnership group of now nine professional societies banded together to work on issues that affect our nations aquatic resources. The CASS partnership has grown significantly under his mentorship from 5 to n nine science societies Tom has also built successful partnerships with key federal agencies including U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, BLM and USFWS. Through his relationships with the AFS policy fellows, AFS has a reputation for convening high quality, scientifically sound Congressional briefings on a wide variety of topics. Prior to retiring and working at AFS, Tom was Chief of the Habitat Protection Division at the Office of Habitat Conservation at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for 18 years, earning a Gold Medal and two Silver Medals for meritorious service during his tenure at NOAA. Tom is a role model for a career that has been impactful, contributed to the well-being of others, and has made a significant difference to the future of our aquatic resource. # # # Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.

August 30, 2017 No Comments

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. RICHARD J. BEAMISH RECEIVES EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 23, 2017 Contact: Martha Wilson Tel.202.445.9514 [email protected] ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. RICHARD J. BEAMISH RECEIVES EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY (Tampa, FL) August 23, 2017 – Dr. Richard J. Beamish received the Award of Excellence in Public Outreach at the 2017 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida. AFS President Joe Margraf presented the award at the meeting’s plenary session. The award of Excellence is presented to a living person for original and outstanding contributions to fisheries and aquatic biology. It is the Society’s highest award for scientific achievement. “We applaud the distinguished contributions of Dr. Beamish and thank him for his continuous efforts to share the value of fisheries and aquatic biology,” said AFS President Joe Margraf. Dr. Beamish is specifically recognized for his sustained contributions to fisheries science, and his exemplary leadership in promoting international cooperation relating to the conservation of fishes, particularly Pacific salmon. Early in his career, Dr. Beamish discovered the problem of acid rain in North America. With his colleagues, he showed that atmospheric transport was the cause of acid rain as well as a major source of heavy metals to lakes. He developed methods for age determination and validation that led him to discover that many species were substantially older than previously thought. He was the first to show that rockfish on the Pacific coast of North America could be many times older than reported and consequently were being heavily overfished. Prior to his retirement in 2011, Dr. Beamish worked at the Department of Fisheries & Oceans Canada as the head of groundfish research on the Pacific coast, and as Director of the Pacific Biological Station. He represented the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the Pacific Salmon Commission and on the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council from its beginning until recently. He was a founder of PICES (North Pacific Marine Science Organization) and head of science for Canada for the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. To this day, he continues to provide leadership in fisheries management in Canada and internationally. # # # Editor’s Notes: AFS Awards page: Links: (fisheries.org) About AFS: Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.

August 23, 2017 No Comments

FISHERIES PROFESSIONAL DR. YUSHUN CHEN RECEIVES AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE FROM THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 23, 2017 Contact: Martha Wilson Tel.202.445.9514 [email protected] (Tampa, FL) August 23, 2017 – Dr. Yushun Chen received the Distinguished Service Award at the 2017 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida. AFS President Joe Margraf presented the award at the meeting’s plenary session. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding contributions of time and energy for special projects or activities by AFS members. “We applaud the distinguished service of Dr. Chen and thank him for his continuous efforts to enhance member experiences with AFS,” said AFS President Joe Margraf. Dr. Chen was specifically recognized for personal investment in helping AFS members establish new connections and relationships to expand the scope and effect of AFS. He has expanded understanding of AFS throughout the world, making the World Council of Fisheries Societies more effective. Dr. Chen has also expanded Chinese understanding of AFS and its collaboration with the China Fisheries Society. Currently, Dr. Chen and his lab are conducting fish and aquatic communities, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems health research in the Yangtze River basin, and Basins along the Eastern Route of China’s South to North Water Diversion Project. They are also working on Mississippi-Yangtze Large River Basins aquatic resources conservation and restorations through international collaborations. From 2010-2014 Dr. Chen worked as an assistant professor in the Aquaculture and Fisheries Center at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Here, Dr. Chen led a research lab on water quality and aquatic communities, and conducted multiple research projects. # # # Editor’s Notes: Links: (fisheries.org) About AFS: Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.

August 23, 2017 No Comments

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