The CASC Fish Research Program is a dynamic group of federal researchers and early-career scientists working together to explore the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable use.
About Us
The CASC Fish Research Program is made up of a dynamic team of federal scientists, student contractors, fellows, and interns. We work collaboratively with programs within the Department of the Interior, other federal agencies, universities, management agencies, and conservation practitioners to conduct science and science synthesis at local, national, and global scales.
Our goal is to better understand global change impacts to these important resources and help stakeholders strategically conserve and adapt to changing conditions.
Research Themes

The CASC Fish Research team explores a wide variety of science topics relating to fish and climate change, including:
-
Aquatic ecosystems
-
Food web / trophic dynamics
-
Novel communities
-
Biodiversity and ecosystem services
-
Climate adaptation
-
Invasive aquatic species
-
Policy and management
-
Coastal management
-
Fisheries management
-
Sustainable development
-
Sustainable seafood
-
Research with On-The-Ground Impacts
The CASC Fish Research Team works closely with a diverse group of partners and stakeholders to ensure their research can be directly used by resource managers and conservation practitioners to inform fisheries management. They include partners and stakeholders in every stage of the scientific process, specifically designing their projects to address pressing management challenges and to fill in knowledge gaps. They work with everyone from individual anglers up to large professional networks, purposefully collaborating with diverse voices to create new and innovative approaches. They are often asked to present their research to Federal leadership through Congressional briefings and in-person presentations.
The CASC Fish Research Team lead diverse, cutting-edge research on the effects of climate change on fish populations around the world. Learn more about their research projects below or check out our Project Explorer to see all the work the CASCs do on fish.
Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Estimating Global Inland Recreational Consumption to Adapt to Global Change
A Pilot Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring Protocol in Support of Coastal Adaptation Projects in Tidal and Nearshore Subtidal Habitats of Boston Harbor Islands
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
Estimating Global River Fisheries Harvest Potential
Developing Adaptation Strategies for Recreational and Tribal Fisheries in the Upper Midwest
Assessing the State of Global Inland Fisheries
Impacts of Global Change on Biotic Resistance, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services in Caribbean Fish Assemblages, Fisheries, and Aquatic Ecosystems
Identifying Critical Thresholds and Tipping Points for Priority Coastal Species in a Changing Future
How and Why is the Timing and Occurrence of Seasonal Migrants in the Gulf of Maine Changing Due to Climate?
Assessing the Impact of Future Climate on Hawai‘i’s Aquatic Ecosystems
How and Why is the Timing and Occurrence of Seasonal Migrants in the Gulf of Maine Changing Due to Climate?
The CASC Fish Research Team is highly prolific and has published almost 100 academic articles. Check out a selection of their publications below.
CASC Fish Team Publications

The CASC Fish Team publishes more and more papers every year, from their first publication in 2012 to their 95th publication in 2021 (23 in 2021 alone!).
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): Development, applications, and opportunities
Aquatic foods to nourish nations
Climate change effects on North American fish and fisheries to inform adaptation strategies
Climate impacts on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem: A review of observed and expected changes in 2050 from rising temperatures
A global dataset of inland fisheries expert knowledge
The ten steps to responsible Inland fisheries in practice: Reflections from diverse regional case studies around the globe
Twenty-five essential research questions to inform the protection and restoration of freshwater biodiversity
Interacting effects of density-dependent and density-independent factors on growth rates in southwestern Cutthroat Trout populations
Daily patterns of river herring (Alosa spp.) spawning migrations: Environmental drivers and variation among coastal streams in Massachusetts
How does climate change affect emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems?
How does climate change affect emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems?
Assessing the impact of an online climate science community: The Early Career Climate Forum
Check out these interactive narratives describing some of our favorite CASC Fish research projects.
The CASC network loves to highlight Fish Team research. Browse related news announcements below. To stay up-to-date on all Fish Team activities, sign up for the CASC newsletter.
The CASC Fish Research team is always growing! Below, find lists of our current and past student contractors and interns and meet our federal staff.
Current Students
Asha Ajmani, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sarah Endyke, University of Massachusetts Amherst
James Garner, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Jones River Watershed
Shemaiah Kentish, George Mason University
Lucy Lockwood, University of Massachusetts Boston
Current Students
Aly Putnam, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Nick Sievert, University of Missouri
Gretchen Stokes, University of Florida
Jesse Wong, George Mason University
Ray Zhang, George Mason University
Past Students
Beverly Bachmann, Rachel Bratton, Daniel Buczek, Lauren Craige, Rebecca Dalton, Amanda Davis, Lakshita Dey, Henry Legett, Erika Minock, Bonnie Myers, Logan Neu, Emily Powell, Cristian Ramirez, Ashley Robertson, Chelsie Romulo, Hunter Sayre, Jason Shin, Justin Taylor, Keenan Yakola
Abigail J. Lynch, Ph.D.
Research Fish Biologist, National CASC
Shawn L Carter, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, National CASC
Janet A Cushing
Deputy Chief, National CASC
Michelle Staudinger, Ph.D.
Science Coordinator, Northeast CASC
The CASC Fish Research Program works closely with an array of stakeholders and partners, including academic institutions, state and management agencies, federal agencies and offices, international agencies and coalitions, and non-governmental organizations.
- Overview
The CASC Fish Research Program is a dynamic group of federal researchers and early-career scientists working together to explore the impacts of climate and other stressors on fish and aquatic systems to inform conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable use.
About Us
The CASC Fish Research Program is made up of a dynamic team of federal scientists, student contractors, fellows, and interns. We work collaboratively with programs within the Department of the Interior, other federal agencies, universities, management agencies, and conservation practitioners to conduct science and science synthesis at local, national, and global scales.
Our goal is to better understand global change impacts to these important resources and help stakeholders strategically conserve and adapt to changing conditions.
Research Themes
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. Visit Media to see details.The CASC Fish Research team explores a wide variety of science topics relating to fish and climate change, including:
-
Aquatic ecosystems
-
Food web / trophic dynamics
-
Novel communities
-
Biodiversity and ecosystem services
-
Climate adaptation
-
Invasive aquatic species
-
Policy and management
-
Coastal management
-
Fisheries management
-
Sustainable development
-
Sustainable seafood
-
Research with On-The-Ground Impacts
The CASC Fish Research Team works closely with a diverse group of partners and stakeholders to ensure their research can be directly used by resource managers and conservation practitioners to inform fisheries management. They include partners and stakeholders in every stage of the scientific process, specifically designing their projects to address pressing management challenges and to fill in knowledge gaps. They work with everyone from individual anglers up to large professional networks, purposefully collaborating with diverse voices to create new and innovative approaches. They are often asked to present their research to Federal leadership through Congressional briefings and in-person presentations.
The CASC Fish Team participates in a meeting of ‘InFish’ (http://infish.org/), a professional network seeking to address challenges facing inland fish through novel approaches and international collaborations. -
- Science
The CASC Fish Research Team lead diverse, cutting-edge research on the effects of climate change on fish populations around the world. Learn more about their research projects below or check out our Project Explorer to see all the work the CASCs do on fish.
Filter Total Items: 15Increasing Tribal Climate Adaptive Capacity for Coastal Resources in the Northeast
Fish that migrate between fresh and salt waters, called diadromous fishes, are integral to coastal Tribal cultures as subsistence foods. Throughout their Northeast range, diadromous fish populations have shown strong declines over recent decades due to the combined impacts of habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. These changes have led to decreasing access to traditional subsisEstimating Global Inland Recreational Consumption to Adapt to Global Change
Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular past-time which can provide substantial contributions to human consumption which are often overlooked at global scales. Here, we aim to establish a baseline of national inland recreational consumption estimates with species specificity to identify the nutritional composition and total use value ofA Pilot Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring Protocol in Support of Coastal Adaptation Projects in Tidal and Nearshore Subtidal Habitats of Boston Harbor Islands
The Northeast U.S. coast is experiencing some of the fastest rates of sea level rise in the world. The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is particularly at risk from sea level rise and coastal storm impacts. Erosion and storm impacts have already led to the degradation of shoreline habitats and protective structures (e.g., sea walls), as well as direct impacts to historic landmarks onThe U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular past-time in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high-quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler-survey data to inform state- and waterbody-level management efforts. Despite the broad implementation of angler surveyEstimating Global River Fisheries Harvest Potential
Fish that are harvested from rivers and lakes play an important role in ensuring global food security. However, data on river fisheries is not collected in any standardized format globally. Although targeted analyses have been conducted on certain river systems, the approaches used, such as intensive field sampling, are not feasible at a global scale. Most river fish are harvested by small-scale oDeveloping Adaptation Strategies for Recreational and Tribal Fisheries in the Upper Midwest
Fisheries in the glacial lakes region of the upper Midwest are culturally, economically, and recreationally beneficial. Walleye, for instance, represent an important subsistence food source for some Wisconsin tribal nations and are also popular among recreational anglers. However, predicted ecological changes to these aquatic communities, such as an increase in invasive fish species, a decrease inAssessing the State of Global Inland Fisheries
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) documents the status and trends of marine fish stocks that represent approximately 80% of global marine catch. These stocks are routinely monitored, and the FAO assessment describes the extent of exploitation against different reference points - such as underfished, sustainable fished, or overfished. Although inland fisheries, whichImpacts of Global Change on Biotic Resistance, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services in Caribbean Fish Assemblages, Fisheries, and Aquatic Ecosystems
Extreme events not only affect people but can have detrimental impacts on natural resources, such as fish and freshwater habitats. Impacts of extreme events, like hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme flooding, have immediate consequences, but also have the ability to alter habitats and animals far in the future by providing opportunities for exotic species to colonize new areas. Some fish communitieIdentifying Critical Thresholds and Tipping Points for Priority Coastal Species in a Changing Future
A large portion of the U.S. population lives in coastal areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and the Caribbean; however, our coasts are also home to many fish, wildlife, and plant species that are important for recreation, tourism, local economies, biodiversity, and healthy coastal ecosystems. Coastal habitats also provide protective ecosystem services to human communities, which are increasinHow and Why is the Timing and Occurrence of Seasonal Migrants in the Gulf of Maine Changing Due to Climate?
Plants and animals undergo certain recurring life-cycle events, such as migrations between summer and winter habitats or the annual blooming of plants. Known as phenology, the timing of these events is very sensitive to changes in climate (and changes in one species’ phenology can impact entire food webs and ecosystems). Shifts in phenology have been described as a “fingerprint” of the temporal an...Assessing the Impact of Future Climate on Hawai‘i’s Aquatic Ecosystems
The stream systems of Hawai‘i are unique and home to many rare species, including five native fish and five native shellfish. These native species have amphidromous life cycles, meaning that they spend part of their lives in the ocean and part in freshwater streams. Stream flow serves as a vital natural pathway, connecting saltwater and freshwater habitats so that these animals can migrate between...How and Why is the Timing and Occurrence of Seasonal Migrants in the Gulf of Maine Changing Due to Climate?
Plants and animals undergo certain recurring life-cycle events, such as migrations between summer and winter habitats or the annual blooming of plants. Known as phenology, the timing of these events is very sensitive to changes in climate (and changes in one species’ phenology can impact entire food webs and ecosystems). Shifts in phenology have been described as a “fingerprint” of the temporal an... - Publications
The CASC Fish Research Team is highly prolific and has published almost 100 academic articles. Check out a selection of their publications below.
CASC Fish Team PublicationsThe CASC Fish Team publishes more and more papers every year, from their first publication in 2012 to their 95th publication in 2021 (23 in 2021 alone!).
Filter Total Items: 79The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): Development, applications, and opportunities
Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular pastime in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high-quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler survey data to inform state- and waterbody-level management efforts. Despite the broad implementation of angler surveysAquatic foods to nourish nations
Despite contributing to healthy diets for billions of people, aquatic foods are often undervalued as a nutritional solution because their diversity is often reduced to the protein and energy value of a single food type (‘seafood’ or ‘fish’)1,2,3,4. Here we create a cohesive model that unites terrestrial foods with nearly 3,000 taxa of aquatic foods to understand the future impact of aquatic foodsClimate change effects on North American fish and fisheries to inform adaptation strategies
Climate change is a global persistent threat to fish and fish habitats throughout North America. Climate-induced modification of environmental regimes, including changes in streamflow, water temperature, salinity, storm surges, and habitat connectivity can change fish physiology, disrupt spawning cues, cause fish extinctions and invasions, and alter fish community structure. Reducing greenhouse emClimate impacts on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem: A review of observed and expected changes in 2050 from rising temperatures
The Gulf of Maine has recently experienced its warmest 5-year period (2015–2020) in the instrumental record. This warming was associated with a decline in the signature subarctic zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus. The temperature changes have also led to impacts on commercial species such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and American lobster (Homarus americanus) and protected species includiA global dataset of inland fisheries expert knowledge
Inland fisheries and their freshwater habitats face intensifying effects from multiple natural and anthropogenic pressures. Fish harvest and biodiversity data remain largely disparate and severely deficient in many areas, which makes assessing and managing inland fisheries difficult. Expert knowledge is increasingly used to improve and inform biological or vulnerability assessments, especially inThe ten steps to responsible Inland fisheries in practice: Reflections from diverse regional case studies around the globe
Inland fisheries make substantial contributions to food security and livelihoods locally, regionally, and globally but their conservation and management have been largely overlooked by policy makers. In an effort to remedy this limited recognition, a cross-sectoral community of scientists, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world convened a high-level meeting in 2015 at the Food andTwenty-five essential research questions to inform the protection and restoration of freshwater biodiversity
Freshwater biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate. Freshwater conservationists and environmental managers have enough evidence to demonstrate that action must not be delayed but have insufficient evidence to identify those actions that will be most effective in reversing the current trend.Here, the focus is on identifying essential research topics that, if addressed, will contribute diInteracting effects of density-dependent and density-independent factors on growth rates in southwestern Cutthroat Trout populations
Density-dependent (DD) and density-independent (DI) effects play an important role in shaping fish growth rates, an attribute that correlates with many life history traits in fishes. Consequently, understanding the extent to which DD and DI effects influence growth rates is valuable for fisheries assessments because it can inform managers about how populations may respond as environmental conditioDaily patterns of river herring (Alosa spp.) spawning migrations: Environmental drivers and variation among coastal streams in Massachusetts
The timing of life history events in many plants and animals depends on the seasonal fluctuations of specific environmental conditions. Climate change is altering environmental regimes and disrupting natural cycles and patterns across communities. Anadromous fishes that migrate between marine and freshwater habitats to spawn are particularly sensitive to shifting environmental conditions and thusHow does climate change affect emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems?
Emergent properties of ecosystems are community attributes, such as structure and function, that arise from connections and interactions (e.g., predator–prey, competition) among populations, species, or assemblages that, when viewed together, provide a holistic representation that is more than the sum of its individual parts. Climate change is altering emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems thrHow does climate change affect emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems?
Emergent properties of ecosystems are community attributes, such as structure and function, that arise from connections and interactions (e.g., predator–prey, competition) among populations, species, or assemblages that, when viewed together, provide a holistic representation that is more than the sum of its individual parts. Climate change is altering emergent properties of aquatic ecosystems thrAssessing the impact of an online climate science community: The Early Career Climate Forum
Online science communities can serve as powerful platforms for advancing scientific knowledge, capacity, and outreach by increasing collaboration and information sharing among geographically distant peers, practitioners, and the public. Here, we examine the value and role of the Early Career Climate Forum (ECCF), a climate-focused online science community that is based in the United States and is - Web Tools
Check out these interactive narratives describing some of our favorite CASC Fish research projects.
- News
The CASC network loves to highlight Fish Team research. Browse related news announcements below. To stay up-to-date on all Fish Team activities, sign up for the CASC newsletter.
Filter Total Items: 35 - Connect
The CASC Fish Research team is always growing! Below, find lists of our current and past student contractors and interns and meet our federal staff.
Current StudentsAsha Ajmani, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sarah Endyke, University of Massachusetts Amherst
James Garner, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Jones River Watershed
Shemaiah Kentish, George Mason University
Lucy Lockwood, University of Massachusetts Boston
Current StudentsAly Putnam, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Nick Sievert, University of Missouri
Gretchen Stokes, University of Florida
Jesse Wong, George Mason University
Ray Zhang, George Mason University
Past StudentsBeverly Bachmann, Rachel Bratton, Daniel Buczek, Lauren Craige, Rebecca Dalton, Amanda Davis, Lakshita Dey, Henry Legett, Erika Minock, Bonnie Myers, Logan Neu, Emily Powell, Cristian Ramirez, Ashley Robertson, Chelsie Romulo, Hunter Sayre, Jason Shin, Justin Taylor, Keenan Yakola
Abigail J. Lynch, Ph.D.
Research Fish Biologist, National CASCEmailPhoneShawn L Carter, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, National CASCEmailPhoneJanet A Cushing
Deputy Chief, National CASCEmailPhoneMichelle Staudinger, Ph.D.
Science Coordinator, Northeast CASCEmailPhone - Partners
The CASC Fish Research Program works closely with an array of stakeholders and partners, including academic institutions, state and management agencies, federal agencies and offices, international agencies and coalitions, and non-governmental organizations.
Filter Total Items: 36