Abigail (Abby) J. Lynch is a Research Fish Biologist with the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center. Abby conducts science and science syntheses on the impacts of global change to inland fishes at local, national, and global scales. Her work aims to inform conservation and sustainable use and to help fishers, managers, and other practitioners adapt to change.
Abby is adjunct/affiliate faculty at Michigan State University, New Mexico State University, North Carolina State University, the University of Florida, and the University of Missouri.
She serves as the coordinator for the international 'InFish' research network, a steward for the Fish and Climate Change Database (FiCli), and an Associate Editor for Fisheries Management and Ecology.
Abby received her Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University on climate impacts to Great Lakes Lake Whitefish, M.S. in marine science on Atlantic Menhaden population genetics at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, and B.S. in biology and B.A. in English literature from the University of Virginia. She also served as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Fisheries Program.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University
M.S. in Marine Science, College of William & Mary
B.S. in Biology, University of Virginia
B.A. in English, University of Virginia
Affiliations and Memberships*
IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group; IUCN Fisheries Expert Group
IPBES Global and Nexus Assessments (Fellow, Author)
2024 World Fisheries Congress International Program Committee (Co-chair)
UN International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (International Steering Committee)
FAO International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability (Advisory Board Member)
American Fisheries Society International Fisheries Section (Past-President)
Honors and Awards
Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Michigan State University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Science and Products
Webinar: The RAD (Resist-Accept-Direct) Climate Adaptation Framework
Informing Mekong River Basin Resiliency and Climate Adaptation
"Climate-smart" fisheries and aquaculture to support resilient aquatic ecosystems in Vietnam
CASC Fish Research
Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework
Evaluating How Changing Climate and Water Clarity Can Affect Restoration of Native Coregonine Fish in Midwestern Lakes
Developing an Indicator of Species Vulnerability to Climate Change to Support a Consistent Nationwide Approach to Assessing Vulnerability
Science to Action Fellowship
The Science to Action Fellowship program supports graduate students in developing a product that puts science into action, directly applying scientific research related to climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, or ecosystems to decision making about natural resources.
Impacts of Extreme Events on the Native and Nonnative Aquatic Species of Hawaiʻi Stream Ecosystem
Connecting Ecosystems from Mountains to the Sea in a Changing Climate
Estimating Global Inland Recreational Consumption to Adapt to Global Change
Quantifying the Impacts of Climate Change on Fish Growth and Production to Enable Sustainable Management of Diverse Inland Fisheries
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
FiCli: Fish and Climate Change Database
High-Resolution Georeferenced Major Rivers Point Data, Spaced in 150m intervals
People need freshwater biodiversity
Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts
The RACE for freshwater biodiversity: Essential actions to create the social context for meaningful conservation
Towards vibrant fish populations and sustainable fisheries that benefit all: Learning from the last 30 years to inform the next 30 years
Socioeconomic resilience to climatic extremes in a freshwater fishery
Global dataset of species-specific inland recreational fisheries harvest for consumption
Asking nicely: Best practices for requesting data
Characterizing mauka-to-makai connections for aquatic ecosystem conservation on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Overturning stereotypes: The fuzzy boundary between recreational and subsistence inland fisheries
Reducing uncertainty in climate change responses of inland fishes: A decision-path approach
Societal values of inland fishes
A future for the inland fish and fisheries hidden within the sustainable development goals
Inland Fisheries Across the World: Assessing the State of Freshwater Aquatic Resources
Inland fisheries represent 12% of total global fishery production, provide accessible and affordable high-quality protein to some of the world's most vulnerable populations, and lack the traditional assessment processes necessary for estimating harvest potential. This project aimed to develop a scalable framework to assess the current and future status of inland fisheries worldwide.
Exploring the Fish and Climate Change Database (FiCli)
An interactive geonarrative exploring the Fish and Climate Change (FiCli) Database.
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 34
Webinar: The RAD (Resist-Accept-Direct) Climate Adaptation Framework
Join this webinar to learn more about the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework, a decision-making tool that helps resource managers make informed strategies for responding to ecological changes resulting from climate change!Informing Mekong River Basin Resiliency and Climate Adaptation
CASC experts are often requested to provide technical assistance to other Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State, as well as national and international partners. The U.S. Consulate in Thailand solicited leadership and guidance from the CASCs to help develop community-supported recommendations for increasing resiliency for fishing communities in the Mekong River Basin. Thail"Climate-smart" fisheries and aquaculture to support resilient aquatic ecosystems in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government has committed to mitigation and adaption in support of the Paris Agreement. Implementation of Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to adaptation involves “prioritized adaptation actions for the period 2021-2030” to address “institutional, policy, financial, and human resource and technology gaps.” Of particular relevance, the NDC highlight the need for focus...CASC Fish Research
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.Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework
The Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework is a decision-making tool that helps resource managers make informed strategies for responding to ecological changes resulting from climate change.Evaluating How Changing Climate and Water Clarity Can Affect Restoration of Native Coregonine Fish in Midwestern Lakes
Coregonines are a sub-family of freshwater fishes within the well-known Salmonidae family. In the upper midwestern U.S., these fishes have provided a key food source to Native Americans for millennia and immigrants for the last several centuries. Since the mid-20th century, however, their diversity and abundance has declined owing to several anthropogenic stressors including overfishing, decliningDeveloping an Indicator of Species Vulnerability to Climate Change to Support a Consistent Nationwide Approach to Assessing Vulnerability
Scientists and resource managers are in need of a better understanding of the status and trends of wildlife species and the vulnerability of these species to climate change. Effective prioritization of species and habitats for climate adaptation, endangered species management, and recreational and cultural hunting and fishing will require development, testing, and application of comprehensive strScience to Action Fellowship
The Science to Action Fellowship program supports graduate students in developing a product that puts science into action, directly applying scientific research related to climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, or ecosystems to decision making about natural resources.
Impacts of Extreme Events on the Native and Nonnative Aquatic Species of Hawaiʻi Stream Ecosystem
Freshwater is a critical driver for island ecosystems. Climate change has fundamentally altered the water cycle in tropical islands. The changes in dynamic patterns of streamflow could result in the temporal and spatial difference in the riverine, estuarine, and coastal habitats that support native species. In particular, these habitats support the nine native aquatic species in Hawaiʻi at differe...Connecting Ecosystems from Mountains to the Sea in a Changing Climate
Freshwater is a critical driver for island ecosystems. In Hawaiʻi, though rainfall intensity has increased, total rainfall has been on the decline for the last two decades and, as a result, streamflow has also been reduced. The changes in dynamic patterns of streamflow could result in impacts to river, estuarine, and coastal habitats. In turn, these changes also affect the nine native Hawaiian aqEstimating 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 ofQuantifying the Impacts of Climate Change on Fish Growth and Production to Enable Sustainable Management of Diverse Inland Fisheries
Fisheries managers in Midwestern lakes and reservoirs are tasked with balancing multiple management objectives to help maintain healthy fish populations across a landscape of diverse lakes. As part of this, managers monitor fish growth and survival. Growth rates in particular are indicators of population health, and directly influence the effectiveness of regulations designed to protect spawning f - Data
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat) contains data compiled from 14,729 creel and angler surveys conducted by state natural resource management agencies (including Washington DC and Puerto Rico) in inland waters across the United States. Data is are contained in eight .csv files which contain information about survey characteristics (Survey_Data.csv), angler effort (AngEffortThe U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat) contains data compiled from 14,766 creel and angler surveys conducted by state natural resource management agencies (including Washington DC and Puerto Rico) in inland waters across the United States. Data is are contained in eight .csv files which contain information about survey characteristics (Survey_Data.csv), angler effort (AngEffortFiCli: Fish and Climate Change Database
Inland fishes provide important ecosystem services to communities worldwide and are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Fish respond to climate change in diverse and nuanced ways which creates challenges for practitioners of fish conservation, climate change adaptation, and management. Although climate change is known to affect fish globally, a comprehensive online, public dataHigh-Resolution Georeferenced Major Rivers Point Data, Spaced in 150m intervals
The Global River Points dataset is a high-resolution vector file geodatabase of 73 rivers world-wide. Each river is represented by a series of points spaced 150 meters apart and each point has attached environmental attributes extracted from multiple data sets. The attributes include physical information (slope, elevation, temperature, precipitation, river width and discharge) and landscape variab - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 79
People need freshwater biodiversity
Freshwater biodiversity, from fish to frogs and microbes to macrophytes, provides a vast array of services to people. Mounting concerns focus on the accelerating pace of biodiversity loss and declining ecological function within freshwater ecosystems that continue to threaten these natural benefits. Here, we catalog nine fundamental ecosystem services that the biotic components of indigenous freshAuthorsAbigail Lynch, Steven J. Cooke, Angela H. Arthington, Claudio Baigun, Lisa Bossenbroek, Chris Dickens, Ian Harrison, Ismael Kimirei, Simone D. Langhans, Karen J. Murchie, Julian Olden, Steve J. Ormerod, Margaret Owuor, Rajeev Raghavan, Michael J. Samways, Rafaela Schinegger, Subodh Sharma, Ram-Devi Tachamo-Shah, David Tickner, Denis Tweddle, Nathan Young, Sonja C. JähnigClimate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts
BackgroundAmong the most widely predicted climate change-related impacts to biodiversity are geographic range shifts, whereby species shift their spatial distribution to track their climate niches. A series of commonly articulated hypotheses have emerged in the scientific literature suggesting species are expected to shift their distributions to higher latitudes, greater elevations, and deeper depAuthorsMadeleine A. Rubenstein, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Romain Bertrand, Shawn Carter, Lise Comte, Mitchell Eaton, Ciara G. Johnson, Jonathan Lenoir, Abigail Lynch, Brian W. Miller, Toni Lyn Morelli, Mari Angel Rodriguez, Adam Terando, Laura ThompsonThe RACE for freshwater biodiversity: Essential actions to create the social context for meaningful conservation
Freshwater habitats are experiencing two to three times the rate of biodiversity loss of terrestrial and marine habitats. As status quo actions within the conservation community are not reversing the downward trajectory for freshwater biodiversity, we propose four actions to shift the narrative such that freshwater biodiversity is no longer invisible and overlooked, but rather explicitly recognizeAuthorsKim Birnie-Gauvin, Abigail Lynch, Paul A. Franklin, Andrea J. Reid, Sean J. Landsman, David Tickner, James Dalton, Kim Aarestrup, Steve J. CookeTowards vibrant fish populations and sustainable fisheries that benefit all: Learning from the last 30 years to inform the next 30 years
A common goal among fisheries science professionals, stakeholders, and rights holders is to ensure the persistence and resilience of vibrant fish populations and sustainable, equitable fisheries in diverse aquatic ecosystems, from small headwater streams to offshore pelagic waters. Achieving this goal requires a complex intersection of science and management, and a recognition of the interconnectiAuthorsSteven J. Cooke, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Warwick H. H. Sauer, Abigail Lynch, Jason S. Link, Aaron A. Koning, Joykrushna Jena, Luiz G. M. Silva, Alison J. King, Rachel Kelly, Matthew Osborne, Julia Nakamura, Ann L. Preece, Atsushi Hagiwara, Kerstin Forsberg, Julie B. Kellner, Ilaria Coscia, Sarah Helyar, Manuel Barange, Elizabeth A. Nyboer, Meryl J. Williams, Ratana Chuenpagdee, Gavin A. Begg, Bronwyn M. GillandersSocioeconomic resilience to climatic extremes in a freshwater fishery
Heterogeneity is a central feature of ecosystem resilience, but how this translates to socioeconomic resilience depends on people’s ability to track shifting resources in space and time. Here, we quantify how climatic extremes have influenced how people (fishers) track economically valuable ecosystem services (fishing opportunities) across a range of spatial scales in rivers of the northern RockyAuthorsTimothy Joseph Cline, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Ryan P. Kovach, Robert Al-Chokhachy, David Schmetterling, Diane Whited, Abigail LynchGlobal dataset of species-specific inland recreational fisheries harvest for consumption
Inland recreational fisheries, found in lakes, rivers, and other landlocked waters, are important to livelihoods, nutrition, leisure, and other societal ecosystem services worldwide. Although recreationally-caught fish are frequently harvested and consumed by fishers, their contribution to food and nutrition has not been adequately quantified due to lack of data, poor monitoring, and under-reportiAuthorsHolly Susan Embke, Elizabeth A. Nyboer, Ashley M. Robertson, Robert Arlinghaus, Shehu L. Akintola, Tuncay Atessahin, Laamiri Mohamed Badr, Claudio Baigun, Zeenatul Basher, Douglas Beard, Gergely Boros, Shannon D. Bower, Steven J. Cooke, Ian G. Cowx, Adolfo Franco, Ma. Teresa Gaspar-Dillanes, Vladimir Puentes Granada, Robert John Hart, Carlos Heinsohn, Vincent Jalabert, Andrzej Kapusta, Tibor Krajč, John D. Koehn, Gonçalo Lopes, Roman Lyach, Terence Magqina, Marco Milardi, Juliet Nattabi, Hilda Nyaboke, Sui C. Phang, Warren M. Potts, Filipe Ribeiro, Norman Mercado-Silva, Naren Sreenivasan, Andy Thorpe, Tomislav Treer, Didzis Ustups, Olaf L.F. Weyl, Louisa E. Wood, Mustafa Zengin, Abigail LynchAsking nicely: Best practices for requesting data
Compiling disparate datasets into publicly available composite databases helps natural resource communities explore ecological trends and effectively manage across spatiotemporal scales. Though some studies have reported on the database construction phase, fewer have evaluated the data acquisition and distribution process. To facilitate future data sharing collaborations, Louisiana State UniversitAuthorsSteve R. Midway, Nicholas A. Sievert, Abigail Lynch, Joanna B. Whittier, Kevin L. PopeCharacterizing mauka-to-makai connections for aquatic ecosystem conservation on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Mauka-to-makai (mountain to sea in the Hawaiian language) hydrologic connectivity – commonly referred to as ridge-to-reef – directly affects biogeochemical processes and socioecological functions across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. The supply of freshwater to estuarine and nearshore environments in a ridge-to-reef system supports the food, water, and habitats utilized by marine fauAuthorsElla Wilmot, Jesse P. Wong, Yinphan Tsang, Abigail Lynch, Dana M. Infante, Kirsten L. L. Oleson, Ayron Strauch, Hannah ClilverdOverturning stereotypes: The fuzzy boundary between recreational and subsistence inland fisheries
Inland recreational fisheries provide numerous socio- economic benefits to fishers, families and communities. Recreationally harvested fish are also frequently consumed and may provide affordable and sustainable but undervalued contributions to human nutrition. Quantifying the degree to which recreationally harvested fish contribute to food security and subsistence is impeded by lack of data on haAuthorsElizabeth A. Nyboer, Holly Susan Embke, Ashley Robertson, Robert Arlinghaus, Shannon D. Bower, Claudio Baigun, Douglas Beard, Steve J. Cooke, Ian. G. Cowx, John D. Koehn, Roman Lyach, Marco Milardi, Warren M. Potts, Abigail LynchReducing uncertainty in climate change responses of inland fishes: A decision-path approach
Climate change will continue to be an important consideration for conservation practitioners. However, uncertainty in identifying appropriate management strategies, particularly for understudied species and regions, constrains the implementation of science-based solutions and adaptation strategies. Here, we share a decision-path approach to reduce uncertainty in climate change responses of inlandAuthorsAbigail Lynch, Bonnie Myers, Jesse P. Wong, Cindy Chu, Ralph W. Tingley, Jeffrey A. Falke, Thomas J. Kwak, Craig Paukert, Trevor J. KrabbenhoftSocietal values of inland fishes
a.Aim: To demonstrate the societal values of inland fishes through nine services provided by inland fishes. Each service is defined, key stakeholders identified, and threats enumerated. Diverse case studies (geography, taxonomy, fishery-type) provide examples to highlight the societal values around the world.b.Main concepts: Nine societal services of inland fishes – 1. Livelihoods and subsistenceAuthorsAbigail Lynch, Robert I. Arthur, Claudio Baigun, Julie E. Claussen, Külli Kangur, Aaron A. Koning, Karen J. Murchie, Bonnie Myers, Gretchen L. Stokes, Ralph William Tingley, So-Jung YounA future for the inland fish and fisheries hidden within the sustainable development goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a unifying call for change - guiding global actions at multiple levels of governance for a better planet and better lives. Consequently, achieving the “future we want” may be hindered by overlooking valuable natural resources and services that are not explicitly included in the SDGs. Not recognizing the direct, intrinsic value of some natAuthorsVittoria Elliott, Abigail Lynch, Sui C. Phang, Steve J. Cooke, Ian. G. Cowx, Julie E. Claussen, James Dalton, William Darwall, Ian Harrison, Karen J. Murchie, E. Ashley Steel, Gretchen L. Stokes - Web Tools
Inland Fisheries Across the World: Assessing the State of Freshwater Aquatic Resources
Inland fisheries represent 12% of total global fishery production, provide accessible and affordable high-quality protein to some of the world's most vulnerable populations, and lack the traditional assessment processes necessary for estimating harvest potential. This project aimed to develop a scalable framework to assess the current and future status of inland fisheries worldwide.
Exploring the Fish and Climate Change Database (FiCli)
An interactive geonarrative exploring the Fish and Climate Change (FiCli) Database.
- News
Filter Total Items: 17
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government