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Peter C Esselman, PhD

Peter Esselman, PhD, is a Research Fishery Biologist based in Ann Arbor, MI. 

My research extends the theory and approaches of landscape ecology into large lake and river contexts to support natural resource decision making from local to continental scales.  Since joining USGS in 2014, I have worked to apply emerging technologies and analytical approaches to the description of large-scale spatiotemporal variation in forage fish abundances and habitats that underpin Great Lakes commercial and recreational fisheries.  I am also actively engaged in the detection, measurement and modeling of invasive and nuisance species distributions and abundances to support the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.  I am a strong advocate for modernization of data collection methods, aquatic remote sensing, and improving bathymetric and habitat maps for the Great Lakes.  Prior to joining USGS I worked extensively in Central America where I studied tropical river ecosystems and supported global and local conservation organizations.  I have specialties in fish community ecology, landscape ecology, biological assessment, applications of machine learning models to ecological problems, field methods, and spatial planning.

Professional Experience

  • Research Fish Biologist, US Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center (2014-present)

  • Assistant Professor, Michigan State University Dept of Zoology (2011-2014)

  • Consultant to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (2012-2015)

  • Research Associate, Michigan State University Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife and Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS) (2009-2011)

  • Consultant, The World Bank (2008-2009)

  • Consultant, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Global Freshwater Team (2006-2009)

  • Consultant, City of Knowledge Foundation (2006-2007)

  • Consultant to TNC Belize Country Program (2001-2002; 2003; 2008)

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. (Aquatic Resource Ecology and Management) University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources & Environment, 2009

  • M.Sc. (Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development) University of Georgia, Institute of Ecology, 2001

  • B.A. (Environmental Studies/Anthropology minor) Connecticut College, 1994

Science and Products

Science pages by this scientist

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Western Lake Superior Map Showing Possible Sampling Sites for AUV and Saildrone Technology

Use of Advanced Technologies to Improve Fisheries Assessments on Lake Superior

The mission brings together state, federal, tribal, Canadian provincial, private, and non-profit partners using advanced fishery research approaches to enhance fishery assessment methods.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Great Lakes Science Center
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Use of Advanced Technologies to Improve Fisheries Assessments on Lake Superior

The mission brings together state, federal, tribal, Canadian provincial, private, and non-profit partners using advanced fishery research approaches to enhance fishery assessment methods.
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Dreissenid Mussels on Rocks in the Detroit River

Development and application of a robot-assisted computer vision system to map Great Lakes bottom habitats and biology

Lake bottom environments are critical zones of interface between geology and biological processes that support health ecosystems and human well-being. Over the past thirty years, Great Lake food webs have become dominated by bottom dwelling invasive species and nuisance algae, that are poorly mapped and understood. USGS is developing a suite of new technologies to map habitat, invasive mussels and...
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Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
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Development and application of a robot-assisted computer vision system to map Great Lakes bottom habitats and biology

Lake bottom environments are critical zones of interface between geology and biological processes that support health ecosystems and human well-being. Over the past thirty years, Great Lake food webs have become dominated by bottom dwelling invasive species and nuisance algae, that are poorly mapped and understood. USGS is developing a suite of new technologies to map habitat, invasive mussels and...
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Data releases by this scientist

Lakebed features extracted from single-beam sonar in two Laurentian Great Lakes

Acoustic seabed classification (ASC) is an important method for understanding landscape-level physical and biological patterns in the aquatic environment. Bottom habitats in the Laurentian Great Lakes are poorly mapped to date, and will require a variety of contributors and data sources to complete. We repurposed a long-term split-beam echosounder dataset gathered for purposes of fisheries assessm
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Great Lakes Science Center

Hydroacoustic data from uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) overtakes in Lakes Huron and Michigan, 2021

These data were derived from hydroacoustic data collected by uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) and powered research vessels. The powered vessels overtook the USVs in Lakes Huron and Michigan to study fish avoidance of survey vessels during traditional acoustic surveys. The water column was divided into three depth groups (epilimnion, metalimnion, hypolimnion) for analysis. Each drone transect was b
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Great Lakes Science Center

High-resolution bathymetry and backscatter data collected near the Stamp Sands of Lake Superior in 2021

The erosion and active transport of legacy mine tailings (called “stamp sands”) are impacting native fish species and aquatic habitats on a shallow water rocky reef complex along the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan called Buffalo Reef. Stamp sands are spreading from an old mill site at the Town of Gay and settling on the reef. Multiple surveys have documented the underwater migration of toxic, meta
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Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Habitat and fish assemblages along four river mainstems in Ontario, Canada, 1997 to 2001, with supporting spatial data

This dataset includes information about valley segment and catchment summaries, valley characteristics, instream habitat, and fish for valley segments, sites, and transects along four river mainstems in Ontario, Canada. Moving west to east, the rivers include the Grand River which ends in Lake Erie at Port Maitland, the Ganaraska River which ends in Lake Ontario at Port Hope, the Trent River which

Bee-Gap: Ecology, Life-History, and Distribution of Bee Species in the United States 2017

Bee-Gap describes the ecology, life-history, and distribution of 3,925 bee species in the United States that have geographical data and verified taxonomy. The database was constructed by compiling information from a broad range of internet sources and peer-reviewed journal articles. The 10 traits included in the database are: native status (native versus exotic/introduced), state and territory pre
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Great Lakes Science Center

Multimedia related to this scientist

A Multi-Bean Sonar Image
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A Multi-Beam Sonar Image
Automated Underwater Vehicle Tethys in Lake Michigan
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Tethys Visits the Great Lakes
A Storm on Lake Michigan Near Grand Have
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Dark Skies While Returning to Port in Grand Haven, Michigan
Diver using camera and scooter completing a transect
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Diver swimming a circular transect
Photo of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) ‘Tethys’
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) ‘Tethys’
Lowering the dive camera system into the water in Lake Ontario
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Preparing to Collect Data in Lake Ontario
Smallmouth bass swimming near the lake bottom
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A Smallmouth Bass in Lake Ontario
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in Lake Huron near Alpena
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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in Lake Huron near Alpena

Publications by this scientist

Filter Total Items: 19

Using multiscale environmental and spatial analyses to understand natural and anthropogenic influence on fish communities in four Canadian rivers

Science-based conservation of riverine fishes can be best targeted with specific information about spatial-ecological controls on the community, including anthropogenic stressors. Because anthropogenic stressors can originate at multiple spatial scales, we investigated the influence of natural and anthropogenic variables summarized within the reach, valley, and catchment on fish community composit
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Beth L. Sparks-Jackson, Peter Esselman, Christopher C. Wilson, Leon M. Carl
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Model-based assessment and mapping of total phosphorus enrichment in rivers with sparse reference data

Water nutrient management efforts are frequently coordinated across thousands of water bodies, leading to a need for spatially extensive information to facilitate decision making. Here we explore potential applications of a machine learning model of river low-flow total phosphorus (TP) concentrations to support landscape nutrient management. The model was trained, validated, and then applied for a
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Peter C. Esselman, R Jan Stevenson
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2021

The U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center has assessed annual changes in the offshore prey fish community of Lake Huron since 1973. Assessments are based on a bottom trawl survey conducted in October of each year and an acoustics-midwater trawl survey, which began in 2004 and is conducted in September-October. Due to weather delays and continued travel restrictions during 2021, there
Authors
Timothy P. O'Brien, Darryl W. Hondorp, Peter Esselman, Edward F. Roseman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Great Lakes spatial priorities study

Spatial data about the bathymetry, habitat characteristics, underlying geology, and other features of the ocean and inland seas are essential for decision-making. Marine research and management organizations use these data to help ensure safe navigation, promote sustainable fisheries, extract energy, and protect marine habitats in the coastal and ocean waters of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (E
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Karen Gouws, Ashley Chappell, Meredith Westington, Cathleen Yung, Peter Esselman, Linden Brinks, Timothy Kearns, Xiaofan Zhang, Brandon Krumwiede, Ken Buja
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2019

The USGS Great Lakes Science Center has assessed annual changes in the offshore prey fish community of Lake Huron since 1973. Assessments are based on a bottom trawl survey conducted in October of each year and an acoustics-midwater trawl survey, which began in 2004 and is conducted in September-October. Both surveys were completed in their entirety in 2019. Prey fish biomass in Lake Huron in 2019
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Darryl W. Hondorp, Timothy P. O'Brien, Peter Esselman, Edward F. Roseman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2020

The USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) has assessed annual changes in the offshore prey fish community of Lake Huron since 1973. Assessments are based on a bottom trawl survey conducted in October and an acoustics-midwater trawl survey conducted in September-October. In 2020, USGS-GLSC vessels were not permitted to cross into Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so prey fish surveys sampled
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Darryl W. Hondorp, Timothy P. O'Brien, Peter Esselman, Edward F. Roseman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

The species–area relationship for a highly fragmented temperate river system

Despite the importance of species–area relationships (SARs) to conservation, SARs in human‐fragmented rivers have received little attention. Our aim was to test for the presence and strength of SARs for littoral fish assemblages of an extensively dammed river in south‐central Ontario, Canada, and to examine long‐running hypotheses for the drivers of SARs. Twenty‐six navigational dams with locks bu
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Leon M. Carl, Peter Esselman, Beth L Sparks-Jackson, Christopher C. Wilson
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Hydrogeomorphological controls on reach‐scale distributions of cichlid nest sites in a small neotropical river

The Cichlidae are among the most diversified families of fish in the Neotropics and represent an important component of aquatic biodiversity. Understanding cichlid nest‐site selection is important for assemblages facing uncertain futures due to species invasions and environmental change. This information could be used to predict how inter‐ and intraspecific competition for reproductive space may a
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Emily A. Buege, Peter Esselman, Sarah J. Praskievicz
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Outsized nutrient contributions from small tributaries to a Great Lake

Excessive nutrient inputs from tributary streams and rivers contribute to harmful algal blooms and coastal ecosystem degradation worldwide. However, the role that small tributaries play in coastal nutrient dynamics remains unknown because most monitoring and regulatory efforts focus only on the largest tributaries. We combined a 6-d sampling effort with discharge modeling to characterize nutrient
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Robert J Mooney, Emily H. Stanley, William C. Rosenthal, Peter Esselman, Anthony D Kendall, Peter B. McIntyre
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Great Lakes Science Center

Status and trends of pelagic prey fish in Lake Huron, 2018

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center conducted integrated acoustic and mid-water trawl surveys of Lake Huron annually from 2004-2018. The 2018 survey was conducted during September and included transects in Lake Huron’s main basin, Georgian Bay, and North Channel. Mean lake-wide pelagic fish density was 1532 fish/ha and mean pelagic fish biomass was 4151 g/ha in
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Timothy P. O'Brien, Steve A. Farha, David Warner, Peter Esselman, Kristy Phillips, Steven Lenart, Chris Olds
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

A conceptual framework for the identification and characterization of lacustrine spawning habitats for native lake charr Salvelinus namaycush

Lake charr Salvelinus namaycush are endemic to the formerly glaciated regions of North America and spawn primarily in lakes, unlike most other Salmoninae. Spawning habitats for lake charr are thought to be characterized by relatively large substrate particle sizes which provide sufficient interstitial spaces for egg incubation, but little is known about the physical processes that create or mainta
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Stephen Riley, J. E. Marsden, M. S. Ridgway, Christopher Konrad, Steve A. Farha, Thomas R. Binder, Trevor A. Middel, Peter Esselman, Charles C. Krueger
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Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Washington Water Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center

A comparison of chlorophyll a values obtained from an autonomous underwater vehicle to satellite-based measures for Lake Michigan

Accurate methods to track changes in lake productivity through time and space are critical to fisheries management. Chlorophyll a is the most widely studied proxy for ecosystem primary production, and has been the topic of many studies. The main sources of chlorophyll a measurements are ship-based measures or multi-spectral satellite data. Autonomous underwater vehicles can survey large spatial ex
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David Bennion, David Warner, Peter Esselman, Brett Hobson, Brian Kieft
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center, National Innovation Center

News about this scientist

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GLSC Contributes to American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting

Annual American Fishery Society meeting presentations

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USGS and partners deploy autonomous vehicles on lakes Michigan and Huron to improve fishery assessments

Sailing drone will traverse the lakes late-July through September

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GLSC Scientists Host US FWS Staff for Multi-Beam Sonar Data-Processing Workshop

Sharing bathymetry and multi-beam sonar habitat mapping information with US Fish and Wildlife Service.

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USGS Advanced Technologies Mission on Lake Superior Captured by Numerous Media Outlets, Celebration Attended by Congressman Tiffany (WI)

Multiple media outlets publish stories on advance technology work.

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Esselman Presents at Sleeping Bear Dunes Coastal Science Data Sharing Webinar

Using Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to Estimate Populations

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US Rep. Dan Kildee visits USGS research vessel Arcticus, Lake Huron

U.S. Representative Dan Kildee (MI-05) recently visited the Great Lakes Science Center's R/V Arcticus to learn more about our fishery research.

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Media Advisory: Congressman Upton, Scientists Retrieve Underwater Robot Studying Lake Michigan

The USGS and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute deployed a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle, named Tethys, in Lake Michigan on August 1...

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Science and Products