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
One from Many: Combining State Creel Data to Estimate Regional Harvest
Quantifying the Impacts of Climate Change on Fish Growth and Production to Enable Sustainable Management of Diverse Inland Fisheries
Fish Habitat Restoration to Promote Adaptation: Resilience of Sport Fish in Lakes of the Upper Midwest
Assessing the State of Global Inland Fisheries
Developing Adaptation Strategies for Recreational and Tribal Fisheries in the Upper Midwest
Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Estimating Global River Fisheries Harvest Potential
Understanding Climate Impacts on Native and Invasive Fish for Conservation, Management, and Economic Goals in the Northern Rockies
Examining Linguistic Diversity Metrics in Intergovernmental Ecosystem Assessments
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
Susceptibility of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout to Displacement by Non-Native Brown Trout and Implications for Future Management
State of the Science on Ecosystem Transformation
Preventing and controlling nonnative species invasions to bend the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss
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
Ecological and social strategies for managing fisheries using the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework
A Resist-Accept-Direct decision-support tool for walleye Sander vitreus (Mitchill) management in Wisconsin
Science and Products
One from Many: Combining State Creel Data to Estimate Regional Harvest
Quantifying the Impacts of Climate Change on Fish Growth and Production to Enable Sustainable Management of Diverse Inland Fisheries
Fish Habitat Restoration to Promote Adaptation: Resilience of Sport Fish in Lakes of the Upper Midwest
Assessing the State of Global Inland Fisheries
Developing Adaptation Strategies for Recreational and Tribal Fisheries in the Upper Midwest
Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Estimating Global River Fisheries Harvest Potential
Understanding Climate Impacts on Native and Invasive Fish for Conservation, Management, and Economic Goals in the Northern Rockies
Examining Linguistic Diversity Metrics in Intergovernmental Ecosystem Assessments
The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): A Database and Interactive Tool for Inland Fisheries Management and Research
Susceptibility of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout to Displacement by Non-Native Brown Trout and Implications for Future Management
State of the Science on Ecosystem Transformation
Preventing and controlling nonnative species invasions to bend the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss
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
Ecological and social strategies for managing fisheries using the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework
A Resist-Accept-Direct decision-support tool for walleye Sander vitreus (Mitchill) management in Wisconsin
*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