Ph.D. in Limnology and Marine Science, Center for Limnology, Univerisity of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009
M.S. in Natural Resources, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, 2003
B.S. in Natural Resources, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, 1997
Research Fishery Biologist, Lake Ontario Biological Station, March 2010 - Present
Research Fishery Biologist, United States Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center 2010 – present
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin, Madison 2009 - 2010
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Wisconsin, Madison 2005 - 2008
Research Assistant & Laboratory Manager, Cornell University 2004 - 2005
Graduate Research Assistant, Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources 2000 - 2003
Research Assistant, Cornell University, Adirondack Fishery Research Program 1998 - 2000
Research Assistant, Cornell University, Cornell Biological Field Station 1997 - 1998
Restoring and maintaining extent of native coregonid populations in the Great Lakes is a basin-wide priority. In response, an adaptive framework has identified knowledge gaps associated with spatial dynamics and stock diversity. This project used the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) with an incredible in-kind support from agencies and universities from across the region to...
USGS scientists worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to monitor growth of invasive zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Lake Ontario with the goal of improving understanding on the effects these mussels have on the Lake food web.
This project addressed regional climate change effects on aquatic food webs in the Great Lakes. We sought insights by examining Lake Erie as a representative system with a high level of anthropogenic impacts, strong nutrient gradients, seasonal hypoxia, and spatial overlap of cold- and cool-water fish guilds. In Lake Erie and in large embayments throughout the Great Lakes basin, this situation...
Mobile hydroacoustic surveys are routinely used to estimate pelagic fish abundance. In the Great Lakes, alewife are commonly surveyed with mobile hydroacoustics, however, their behavior often has them associated with epilimnetic habitats which increases the potential for vessel avoidance to bias hydroacoustic observations. Abundance...
Elliot, Conner; Holden, Jeremy; Connerton, Michael; Weidel, Brian C.; Tufts, Bruce Seasonal migrations of fish populations can have large effects on lake nutrient budgets and food web dynamics, but the addition of a migrating non‐native species may alter these dynamics. The Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) arrived in Lake Ontario (USA/Canada) about 20 years ago with a documented history of annual offshore–inshore...
Pennuto, Chris; Mehler, Knut; Weidel, Brian C.; Lantry, Brian F.; Bruestle, Eric Morphometric data from fish are typically generated using one of two methods: from direct measurements made on a specimen, or by extracting distances from a digital picture. We compared data on twelve morphometrics collected with these two different methods on the same collection of Cisco Coregonus artedi to assess the degree of bias in...
O'Malley, Brian; Schmitt, Joseph; Holden, Jeremy P.; Weidel, Brian C. The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced recent ecosystem changes that could lead to reductions in adaptive capacity and ultimately a loss of biodiversity and production throughout the food web. Observed changes in Great Lakes benthic communities include declines of native species and widespread success of invasive species like dreissenid...
Robinson, Kelly F.; Bronte, Charles R.; Bunnell, David; Euclide, Peter T.; Hondorp, Darryl W.; Janssen, John J.; Kornis, Matthew S.; Ogle, Derek H.; Otte, Will; Riley, Stephen; Vinson, Mark; Volkel, Shea L.; Weidel, Brian C. Diel vertical migration (DVM) is common in aquatic organisms. The trade‐off between reduced predation risk in deeper, darker waters during the day and increased foraging opportunities closer to the surface at night is a leading hypothesis for DVM behaviour.Diel vertical migration behaviour has dominated research and assessment frameworks for ...
Stockwell, Jason D.; O'Malley, Brian; Hansson, Sture; Chapina, Rosie C; Rudstam, Lars G.; Weidel, Brian C. Species introductions provide opportunities to quantify rates and patterns of evolutionary change in response to novel environments. Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are native to the East Coast of North America where they ascend coastal rivers to spawn in lakes and then return to the ocean. Some populations have become landlocked within the last...
Smith, Shelby; Palkovacs, Eric; Weidel, Brian C.; Bunnell, David; Jones, Andrew W.; Bloom, Devin Each year we report on the progress toward rehabilitation of the Lake Ontario lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) population, including the results of stocking, annual assessment surveys, creel surveys, and evidence of natural reproduction observed from all standard surveys performed by USGS and NYSDEC. The catch per unit effort of adult lake trout...
Lantry, Brian F.; Furgal, Stacy; Weidel, Brian C.; Connerton, Michael; Gorsky, Dimitry; Osborne, Christopher In Lake Ontario, lake trout restoration efforts have not established a self-sustaining population. Herein we describe efforts to evaluate standard and new surveys, and to estimate dispersal from stocking locations, to better understand impediments to natural reproduction. In 2019, lake trout egg deposition was sampled at two locations, Stony...
Furgal, Stacy; Osborne, Christopher; Lantry, Brian F.; Weidel, Brian C.; Gorsky, Dimitry; Connerton, Michael Multi-agency, collaborative Lake Ontario bottom trawl surveys provide information for decision making related to Fish Community Objectives including predator-prey balance and understanding prey fish community diversity. In 2019, bottom trawl surveys in April (n = 252 tows) and October (n = 160 tows) sampled main lake and embayments at depths from...
Weidel, Brian C.; O'Malley, Brian; Connerton, Michael J.; Holden, Jeremy P.; Osborne, Christopher Spring total phosphorus (TP) in 2019 was 3.2 µg/L (offshore) and 4.7 µg/L (nearshore), both all-time lows; however, there is no significant time trend in our data series (1995-2019 for nearshore; 2002-2019 for offshore). Apr/May – Oct mean TP concentrations were low at both nearshore and offshore locations (range, 3.7 – 6.5 µg/L). TP and SRP...
Holeck, Kristen T.; Rudstam, Lars G.; Hotaling, Christopher; Lemon, Dave; Pearsall, Web; Lantry, Jana; Connerton, Mike; Legard, Chris; LaPan, Steve; Biesinger, Zy; Lantry, Brian F.; Weidel, Brian C.; O'Malley, Brian Fish population recoveries can result from ecosystem change in the absence of targeted restoration actions. In Lake Ontario, native Deepwater Sculpin Myoxecephalus thompsonii, were common in the late-1800s, but by the mid-1900s the species was possibly extirpated. During this period mineral nutrient inputs increased and piscivore abundance...
Weidel, Brian C.; Connerton, Michael J.; Walsh, Maureen; Holden, Jeremy; Holleck, Kristen; Lantry, Brian F. Collaborative Lake Ontario bottom trawl surveys, led by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), provide science and management information for evaluating Fish Community Objectives including predator-prey balance and prey fish community diversity. In 2018, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Ontario Ministry of...
Weidel, Brian C.; Connerton, Michael J.; Holden, Jeremy
USGS Scientists Participate in Great Lakes Fishery Commission Science Transfer Program
Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative Data Integration for the 2018 Season in Lake Ontario
USGS - NYDEC Collaboration Produces Record Results
State of Lake Ontario Fisheries