Abigail J. Lynch, Ph.D.
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.
Collaborative Networks
Abby leads the National CASC's aquatics program and co-leads the CASC Fish Research Team. She is adjunct/affiliate faculty at Michigan 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
Stakeholder views of management and decision support tools to integrate climate change into Great Lakes Lake Whitefish management
To manage inland fisheries is to manage at the social-ecological watershed scale
Climate change effects on North American inland fish populations and assemblages
On the sustainability of inland fisheries: Finding a future for the forgotten
The social, economic, and environmental importance of inland fish and fisheries
Physiological basis of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes
Drivers and synergies in the management of inland fisheries: Searching for sustainable solutions
Where the waters meet: sharing ideas and experiences between inland and marine realms to promote sustainable fisheries management
Timing is everything
Succeeding as a non-traditional graduate student: Building the right support network
Openness to the unexpected: Our Pathways to Careers in a Federal Research Laboratory.
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Stakeholder views of management and decision support tools to integrate climate change into Great Lakes Lake Whitefish management
Decision support tools can aid decision making by systematically incorporating information, accounting for uncertainties, and facilitating evaluation between alternatives. Without user buy-in, however, decision support tools can fail to influence decision-making processes. We surveyed fishery researchers, managers, and fishers affiliated with the Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis fishery in thAuthorsAbigail J. Lynch, William W. Taylor, Aaron M. McCrightTo manage inland fisheries is to manage at the social-ecological watershed scale
Approaches to managing inland fisheries vary between systems and regions but are often based on large-scale marine fisheries principles and thus limited and outdated. Rarely do they adopt holistic approaches that consider the complex interplay among humans, fish, and the environment. We argue that there is an urgent need for a shift in inland fisheries management towards holistic and transdiscipliAuthorsVivian T. Nguyen, Abigail Lynch, Nathan Young, Ian G. Cowx, T. Douglas Beard, William W. Taylor, Steven J. CookeClimate change effects on North American inland fish populations and assemblages
Climate is a critical driver of many fish populations, assemblages, and aquatic communities. However, direct observational studies of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes are rare. In this synthesis, we (1) summarize climate trends that may influence North American inland fish populations and assemblages, (2) compile 31 peer-reviewed studies of documented climate change effects oAuthorsAbigail J. Lynch, Bonnie Myers, Cindy Chu, Lisa A. Eby, Jeffrey A. Falke, Ryan P. Kovach, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Thomas J. Kwak, John Lyons, Craig P. Paukert, James E. WhitneyOn the sustainability of inland fisheries: Finding a future for the forgotten
At present, inland fisheries are not often a national or regional governance priority and as a result, inland capture fisheries are undervalued and largely overlooked. As such they are threatened in both developing and developed countries. Indeed, due to lack of reliable data, inland fisheries have never been part of any high profile global fisheries assessment and are notably absent from the SustAuthorsSteven J. Cooke, Edward H. Allison, T. Douglas Beard, Robert Arlinghaus, Angela Arthington, Devin Bartley, Ian G. Cowx, Carlos Fuentevilla, Nancy J. Léonard, Kai Lorenzen, Abigail Lynch, Vivian M. Nguyen, So-Jung Youn, William W. Tayor, Robin WelcommeThe social, economic, and environmental importance of inland fish and fisheries
Though reported capture fisheries are dominated by marine production, inland fish and fisheries make substantial contributions to meeting the challenges faced by individuals, society, and the environment in a changing global landscape. Inland capture fisheries and aquaculture contribute over 40% to the world’s reported finfish production from less than 0.01% of the total volume of water on earth.AuthorsAbigail J. Lynch, Steven J. Cooke, Andrew M. Deines, Shannon D. Bower, David B. Bunnell, Ian G. Cowx, Vivian M. Nguyen, Joel K. Nohner, Kaviphone Phouthavong, Betsy Riley, Mark W. Rogers, William W. Taylor, Whitney Woelmer, So-Jung Youn, T. Douglas BeardPhysiological basis of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes
Global climate change is altering freshwater ecosystems and affecting fish populations and communities. Underpinning changes in fish distribution and assemblage-level responses to climate change are individual-level physiological constraints. In this review, we synthesize the mechanistic effects of climate change on neuroendocrine, cardiorespiratory, immune, osmoregulatory, and reproductive systemAuthorsJames E. Whitney, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, David B. Bunnell, Colleen A. Caldwell, Steven J. Cooke, Erika J. Eliason, Mark W. Rogers, Abigail J. Lynch, Craig P. PaukertDrivers and synergies in the management of inland fisheries: Searching for sustainable solutions
Freshwater is a shared resource. Water challenges (i.e., too much, too little, too dirty) are recognized to have global implications. Many sectors rely upon water and, in some cases, the limited availability of water leads to tough decisions. Though inland fish and fisheries play important roles in providing food security, human well-being, and ecosystem productivity, this sector is often underAuthorsAbigail Lynch, T. Douglas BeardWhere the waters meet: sharing ideas and experiences between inland and marine realms to promote sustainable fisheries management
Although inland and marine environments, their fisheries, fishery managers, and the realm-specific management approaches are often different, there are a surprising number of similarities that frequently go unrecognized. We contend that there is much to be gained by greater cross-fertilization and exchange of ideas and strategies between realms and the people who manage them. The purpose of this pAuthorsSteven J. Cooke, Robert Arlinghaus, Devin M. Bartley, T. Douglas Beard, Ian G. Cowx, Timothy E. Essington, Olaf P. Jensen, Abigail J. Lynch, William W. Taylor, Reg WatsonTiming is everything
No abstract available.AuthorsErin J. Walaszczyk, Cory O. Brant, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming LiSucceeding as a non-traditional graduate student: Building the right support network
No abstract available.AuthorsRobin L. DeBruyne, Edward F. RosemanOpenness to the unexpected: Our Pathways to Careers in a Federal Research Laboratory.
Many fisheries professionals may not be in the job they originally envisioned for themselves when they began their undergraduate studies. Rather, their current positions could be the result of unexpected, opportunistic, or perhaps even “lucky” open doors that led them down an unexpected path. In many cases, a mentor helped facilitate the unforeseen trajectory. We offer three unique stories about jAuthorsKurt R. Newman, David B. Bunnell, Darryl W. Hondorp - Web Tools
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*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