Ben is a population ecologist focusing on stream habitats and science communication.
Education
- PhD, 1994, NC State, Zoology with statistics and modeling minor
- M.S. 1990, URI School of Oceanography, biological option
- B.S. 1985, Trinity College, Biology
Main research questions include:
Where are the fish?
- Distribution modeling
- Modeling climate refugia
What drives fish abundances?
- Long-term individual-based field studies
- State-space abundance modeling
- Integrated demographic models
How are the fish changing?
- Thermal adaptive capacity
- Estimating fitness in the wild
How are stream environments changing?
- Stream temperature statistical models
- Stream flow modeling using images
In addition, Ben is very interested in creating integrated, interactive, web-based systems to assist decision-making for natural resources. His group has created the Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System (‘SHEDS’ at ecosheds.org) which links databases, models and visualization tools.
- An extensive stream temperature database is at db.ecosheds.org.
- Stream temperature and Brook Trout occupancy models are at ecosheds.org
- The Interactive Catchment Explorer (‘ICE’) which facilitates exploration of complex environmental datasets and modeling results is at ice.ecosheds.org.
- Visualizations of individual tagging data from long-term studies are at pitdata.ecosheds.org.
- A stream visualization tool linking hydrographs to images is at fpe.ecosheds.org.
- A time series explorer is at tse.ecosheds.org.
Google scholar link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fwgbROwAAAAJ&hl=en
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 15
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A field test of the extent of bias in selection estimates after accounting for emigration
Question: To what extent does trait-dependent emigration bias selection estimates in a natural system? Organisms: Two freshwater cohorts of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles. Field site: A 1 km stretch of a small stream (West Brook) in western Massachusetts. USA from which emigration could be detected continuously. Methods: Estimated viability selection differentials for body size either inc
Comparison of genetic diversity in the recently founded Connecticut River Atlantic salmon population to that of its primary donor stock, Maine's Penobscot River
Anadromous Atlantic salmon returning to the Connecticut River (CR) from 1996 to 1999 were assayed for variability at nine microsatellite DNA loci. Heterozygosity and allele frequencies were compared to the anadromous Atlantic salmon returning to Maine's Penobscot River from 1998 to 2000. The Penobscot River was the primary source of the salmon used to found the previously extirpated population in
Long-term consequences of variation in timing and manner of fry introduction on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) growth, survival, and life-history expression
We tested the influence of introduction time and the manner of introduction on growth, survival, and life-history expression of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Introduction treatments included three fry stocking times and stream rearing of embryos. Despite poor growth conditions during the early stocking period, early-stocked fish were larger throughout the entire study period, likely the result of
Variation in freshwater growth and development among five New England Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations reared in a common environment
We examined phenotypic variation in growth and development from the eyed-egg stage to the age-1+ smolt stage among five New England populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar: East Machias, Narraguagus, Sheepscot, Penobscot, Connecticut) reared in a common laboratory environment. Study populations originated from rivers varying in size, latitude, and level of hatchery supplementation and included
Predation on stocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry
We studied predator-prey interactions between juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and trout in three Massachusetts, U.S.A., streams and in artificial streams. We sampled stomach contents of age-1+ and older salmon and trout (Salvelinus fontinalis, Salmo trutta) following salmon fry stocking in the spring of 1997 and 1998. Between 4.3 and 48.6% of the stocked fry were consumed within the first 2
Effects of life history variation on size and growth in stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon
A large size variation amongst life histories for stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon Salmo salar was found and the relative effect of life histories on size varied over time. As early as December (age 0+ years), fish that later smolted at age 2+ years were significantly larger than fish that did not smolt at age 2+ years. In contrast, there were no mass differences at age 0+ years between fish that w
Life history dependent morphometric variation in stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon
The time course of morphometric variation among life histories for stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr (age-0+ to age-2+) was analyzed. Possible life histories were combinations of parr maturity status in the autumn (mature or immature) and age at outmigration (smolt at age-2+ or later age). Actual life histories expressed with enough fish for analysis in the 1997 cohort were imm
Tag retention and survival of Age-0 Atlantic salmon following surgical implantation with passive integrated transponder tags
We evaluated an alternative to using hypodermic needles to implant passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in the body cavities of juvenile salmonids. We used surgical techniques to place PIT tags into the body cavities of 3,037 age-0 Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and then held fish under hatchery conditions for 9 months. Tag retention was 99.8% (six fish lost tags), and survival was 94.3% (174 fi
A night seining technique for sampling juvenile Atlantic salmon in streams
For many studies of the population dynamics, growth, and movement of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, it is necessary to resample tagged individuals multiple times. However, common sampling techniques such as electrofishing can have negative effects on fish survival and growth, especially when individuals are repeatedly sampled. We describe an alternative to electrofishing that involves sampl
Survival of stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon: Effects of life history variation, season, and age
To determine seasonal and age-class variation in the abundance and survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, we conducted multiple samplings of individually tagged juveniles in a small stream (West Brook, Massachusetts). We also estimated the differences in survival and probability of smolting for mature and immature parr. Survival was approximately twofold lower during winter as compared with summ
Effects of developmental stage at stocking on growth and survival of Atlantic salmon fry
Stocked fry are the primary source of fish for the restoration effort for Connecticut River Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, yet it is unknown whether there is a developmental stage at stocking that yields optimal growth and survival or whether good growth and survival can be achieved across a wide range of fry developmental stages. To evaluate the effects of developmental stage on growth and survival
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Filter Total Items: 83
A field test of the extent of bias in selection estimates after accounting for emigration
Question: To what extent does trait-dependent emigration bias selection estimates in a natural system? Organisms: Two freshwater cohorts of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles. Field site: A 1 km stretch of a small stream (West Brook) in western Massachusetts. USA from which emigration could be detected continuously. Methods: Estimated viability selection differentials for body size either incComparison of genetic diversity in the recently founded Connecticut River Atlantic salmon population to that of its primary donor stock, Maine's Penobscot River
Anadromous Atlantic salmon returning to the Connecticut River (CR) from 1996 to 1999 were assayed for variability at nine microsatellite DNA loci. Heterozygosity and allele frequencies were compared to the anadromous Atlantic salmon returning to Maine's Penobscot River from 1998 to 2000. The Penobscot River was the primary source of the salmon used to found the previously extirpated population inLong-term consequences of variation in timing and manner of fry introduction on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) growth, survival, and life-history expression
We tested the influence of introduction time and the manner of introduction on growth, survival, and life-history expression of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Introduction treatments included three fry stocking times and stream rearing of embryos. Despite poor growth conditions during the early stocking period, early-stocked fish were larger throughout the entire study period, likely the result ofVariation in freshwater growth and development among five New England Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations reared in a common environment
We examined phenotypic variation in growth and development from the eyed-egg stage to the age-1+ smolt stage among five New England populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar: East Machias, Narraguagus, Sheepscot, Penobscot, Connecticut) reared in a common laboratory environment. Study populations originated from rivers varying in size, latitude, and level of hatchery supplementation and includedPredation on stocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry
We studied predator-prey interactions between juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and trout in three Massachusetts, U.S.A., streams and in artificial streams. We sampled stomach contents of age-1+ and older salmon and trout (Salvelinus fontinalis, Salmo trutta) following salmon fry stocking in the spring of 1997 and 1998. Between 4.3 and 48.6% of the stocked fry were consumed within the first 2Effects of life history variation on size and growth in stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon
A large size variation amongst life histories for stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon Salmo salar was found and the relative effect of life histories on size varied over time. As early as December (age 0+ years), fish that later smolted at age 2+ years were significantly larger than fish that did not smolt at age 2+ years. In contrast, there were no mass differences at age 0+ years between fish that wLife history dependent morphometric variation in stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon
The time course of morphometric variation among life histories for stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr (age-0+ to age-2+) was analyzed. Possible life histories were combinations of parr maturity status in the autumn (mature or immature) and age at outmigration (smolt at age-2+ or later age). Actual life histories expressed with enough fish for analysis in the 1997 cohort were immTag retention and survival of Age-0 Atlantic salmon following surgical implantation with passive integrated transponder tags
We evaluated an alternative to using hypodermic needles to implant passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in the body cavities of juvenile salmonids. We used surgical techniques to place PIT tags into the body cavities of 3,037 age-0 Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and then held fish under hatchery conditions for 9 months. Tag retention was 99.8% (six fish lost tags), and survival was 94.3% (174 fiA night seining technique for sampling juvenile Atlantic salmon in streams
For many studies of the population dynamics, growth, and movement of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, it is necessary to resample tagged individuals multiple times. However, common sampling techniques such as electrofishing can have negative effects on fish survival and growth, especially when individuals are repeatedly sampled. We describe an alternative to electrofishing that involves samplSurvival of stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon: Effects of life history variation, season, and age
To determine seasonal and age-class variation in the abundance and survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, we conducted multiple samplings of individually tagged juveniles in a small stream (West Brook, Massachusetts). We also estimated the differences in survival and probability of smolting for mature and immature parr. Survival was approximately twofold lower during winter as compared with summEffects of developmental stage at stocking on growth and survival of Atlantic salmon fry
Stocked fry are the primary source of fish for the restoration effort for Connecticut River Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, yet it is unknown whether there is a developmental stage at stocking that yields optimal growth and survival or whether good growth and survival can be achieved across a wide range of fry developmental stages. To evaluate the effects of developmental stage on growth and survival - Web Tools
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