Brian C Weidel, PhD
Brian Weidel is a research fishery biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center where he leads collaborative research on prey fishes and native fish restoration ecology.
Brian works with state and provincial agencies in Lake Ontario to annually assess prey fish stocks, like Alewife, which informs the decisions that sustain that lake’s world class trout and salmon fisheries. Brian’s research also addresses prey fish conservation for species like Deepwater Sculpin, a bottom-dwelling fish that inhabits depths from 80 – 240 meters (165-792 feet) and is prey for native predators including Burbot and Lake Trout. This species was likely extirpated from Lake Ontario for decades, but the research done by Brian and colleagues has documented the remarkable natural recovery of the species. Most recently Brian joined a multi-agency international effort to study and restore Great Lakes fishes from the genus Coregonus. Populations of Cisco, Lake Whitefish, and Bloater were among the Great Lakes’ most abundant fishes prior to European colonization and supported critical fisheries; but human driven changes have caused extirpations and population declines. Brian’s research is among the to quantify how habitats and conditions influence incubation success for these species that spawn in late fall and winter and emerge from the lake bottom substrates just after ice out. Research teams are evaluating the efficacy of rehabilitating lake spawning habitat substrates for improving reproduction and evaluating these actions as potential tools for coregonine restoration and conservation.
Professional Experience
Research Fishery Biologist, United States Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Lake Ontario Biological Station, 2010 – present
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin, Madison 2009 - 2010
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Wisconsin, Madison 2005 - 2008
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
Education and Certifications
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
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Bottom trawl assessment of Lake Ontario prey fishes
Stomach contents and stable isotopes analysis indicate Hemimysis anomala in Lake Ontario are broadly omnivorous
Experimental whole-lake dissolved organic carbon increase alters fish diet and density but not growth or productivity
Bottom trawl assessment of Lake Ontario prey fishes
Lake trout spawning and habitat assessment at Stony Island Reef
Cooperative science to inform Lake Ontario management: Research from the 2013 Lake Ontario CSMI program
Feeding ecology and niche overlap of Lake Ontario offshore forage fish assessed with stable isotopes
Evidence for migratory spawning behavior by morphologically distinct Cisco (Coregonus artedi) from a small inland lake
Vertical distribution of alewife in the Lake Ontario offshore: Implications for resource use
Nearshore fish community
Deepwater sculpin status and recovery in Lake Ontario
Life history constraints explain negative relationship between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon in lakes
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Filter Total Items: 111Bottom trawl assessment of Lake Ontario prey fishes
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 Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNR), and the (USAuthorsBrian C. Weidel, Michael J. Connerton, Jeremy HoldenStomach contents and stable isotopes analysis indicate Hemimysis anomala in Lake Ontario are broadly omnivorous
Hemimysis anomala is a recent invader to North American aquatic ecosystems and is spreading rapidly throughout the Great Lakes region. This is the first littoral mysid in the North American Great Lakes; and, as such, the ecosystem effects are unknown and could be substantial. These effects depend on the role of Hemimysis in the food web and, therefore, on its diet. We examined the stomach contentsAuthorsT. M. Evans, R. Naddafi, Brian C. Weidel, Brian F. Lantry, M. G. Walsh, B. T. Boscarino, O. E. Johannsson, L. G. RudstamExperimental whole-lake dissolved organic carbon increase alters fish diet and density but not growth or productivity
Negative relationships between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and fish productivity have been reported from correlative studies across lakes, but to date there have not been experimental tests of these relationships. We increased the DOC concentration in a lake by 3.4 mg L-1, using a before-after control-impact (BACI) design, to quantify the effects on the productivity and populationAuthorsShuntaro Koizumi, Nicola Craig, Jacob A. Zwart, Patrick T. Kelly, Jacob P. Ziegler, Brian C. Weidel, Stuart E. Jones, Christopher T. SolomonBottom trawl assessment of Lake Ontario prey fishes
Managing Lake Ontario fisheries in an ecosystem-context requires prey fish community and population data. Since 1978, multiple annual bottom trawl surveys have quantified prey fish dynamics to inform management relative to published Fish Community Objectives. In 2017, two whole-lake surveys collected 341 bottom trawls (spring: 204, fall: 137), at depths from 8-225m, and captured 751,350 fish fromAuthorsBrian C. Weidel, Michael J. Connerton, Jeremy HoldenLake trout spawning and habitat assessment at Stony Island Reef
Lake trout stocking began in the 1970s as part of a binational effort to restore a self-sustaining population of lake trout in Lake Ontario. Despite 48 years of restoration stocking, lake trout in Lake Ontario have not reestablished a self-sustaining population. Spawning surveys done at Stony Island Reef (SIR) in eastern Lake Ontario in 1987 and 1989 documented lake trout egg deposition and swim-uAuthorsStacy Furgal, Brian F. Lantry, Brian C. Weidel, John M. Farrell, Dimitry Gorsky, Zy BiesingerCooperative science to inform Lake Ontario management: Research from the 2013 Lake Ontario CSMI program
Since the mid-1970s, successful Lake Ontario management actions including nutrient load and pollution reductions, habitat restoration, and fish stocking have improved Lake Ontario. However, several new obstacles to maintenance and restoration have emerged. This special issue presents management-relevant research from multiple agency surveys in 2011 and 2012 and the 2013 Cooperative Science and MonAuthorsJames M. Watkins, Brian C. Weidel, Aaron T. Fisk, Lars G. RudstamFeeding ecology and niche overlap of Lake Ontario offshore forage fish assessed with stable isotopes
The forage fish communities of the Laurentian Great Lakes continue to experience changes that have altered ecosystem structure, yet little is known about how they partition resources. Seasonal, spatial and body size variation in δ13C and δ15N was used to assess isotopic niche overlap and resource and habitat partitioning among the five common offshore Lake Ontario forage fish species (n = 2037) [AAuthorsJames Mumby, Timothy Johson, Thomas Stewart, Edward Halfyard, Maureen Walsh, Brian C. Weidel, Jana Lantry, Aarron FiskEvidence for migratory spawning behavior by morphologically distinct Cisco (Coregonus artedi) from a small inland lake
Conservation and management of rare fishes relies on managers having the most informed understanding of the underlying ecology of the species under investigation. Cisco (Coregonus artedi), a species of conservation concern, is a cold-water pelagic fish that is notoriously variable in morphometry and life history. Published reports indicate, at spawning time, Cisco in great lakes may migrate into oAuthorsAlexander J. Ross, Brian C. Weidel, Mellisa Leneker, Christopher T. SolomonVertical distribution of alewife in the Lake Ontario offshore: Implications for resource use
Oligotrophication of Lake Ontario has led to increased water clarity and an increased proportion of zooplankton residing in the metalimnion during the day, which may affect the utilization of different depth regions for planktivorous fish. We investigated day and night distributions of fish using hydroacoustics and suspended vertical gillnets during the summer of 2013 when a deep chlorophyll layerAuthorsMilan Riha, Maureen Walsh, Michael J. Connerton, Jeremy Holden, Brian C. Weidel, Patrick J. Sullivan, Toby J. Holda, Lars G. RudstamNearshore fish community
Lake Ontario’s nearshore fish community consists of a diverse assemblage of warm- and cool-water species. The “nearshore zone,” loosely separated from the “offshore zones” by the 15-m depth contour, consists of complex habitats spanning a gamut from vast open-coastal areas to sheltered embayments and wetlands. Lake Ontario’s nearshore habitat has been affected to varying degrees by human activitieAuthorsJames A. Hoyle, Michael J. Connerton, Dawn E. Dittman, Dimitry Gorsky, Jana R. Lantry, Alastair Mathers, Scott L. Schlueter, Maureen Walsh, Brian C. Weidel, Michael J. YuilleDeepwater sculpin status and recovery in Lake Ontario
Deepwater sculpin are important in oligotrophic lakes as one of the few fishes that use deep profundal habitats and link invertebrates in those habitats to piscivores. In Lake Ontario the species was once abundant, however drastic declines in the mid-1900s led some to suggest the species had been extirpated and ultimately led Canadian and U.S. agencies to elevate the species' conservation status.AuthorsBrian C. Weidel, Maureen Walsh, Michael J. Connerton, Brian F. Lantry, Jana R. Lantry, Jeremy P. Holden, Michael J. Yuille, James A. HoyleLife history constraints explain negative relationship between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon in lakes
Resource availability constrains the life history strategies available to organisms and may thereby limit population growth rates and productivity. We used this conceptual framework to explore the mechanisms driving recently reported negative relationships between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in lakes. We studied populations of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)AuthorsNicola Craig, Stuart E. Jones, Brian C. Weidel, Christopher T. SolomonNon-USGS Publications**
Weidel, B. C., S.R. Carpenter, J.F. Kitchell, M.J. Vander Zanden. 2011. Rates and components of carbon turnover in fish muscle: insights from bioenergetics models and a whole-lake 13C addition. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 68:387-399.Tetzlaff, J.C., Roth, B.R., Weidel, B.M., and J.F. Kitchell. 2011. Predation by native sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) on the invasive crayfish Orconectes rusticus in four northern Wisconsin lakes. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 20:133-143.Carpenter, S.R., J.J. Cole, M.L. Pace, R.D. Batt, W.A. Brock, T. Cline, J. Coloso, J.R. Hodgson, J.F. Kitchell, D.A. Seekell, L. Smith and B. Weidel. 2011. Early warnings of regime shifts: A whole-ecosystem experiment. Science 332: 1079-1082.Robinson, J.M., D.C Josephson, B.C. Weidel and C.E. Kraft. 2010. Influence of variable interannual summer water temperatures on brook trout growth, consumption, reproduction, and mortality in an unstratified Adirondack lake. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 139:685-699.Solomon, C.T., J. Cole, R. Doucett, M. Pace, N. Preston, L. Smith, and B. Weidel. 2009. The influence of dietary water on the hydrogen stable isotope ratio in aquatic consumers. Oecologia 161:313-324.Jensen, O., D. Gilroy, Z. Hogan, B. Allen, T. Hrabik, B. Weidel, S. Chandra, and M.J. Vander Zanden, 2009. Evaluating recreational fisheries for an endangered species: a case study of taimen, Hucho taimen, in Mongolia. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 66:1707-1718.Biggs, R., Diebel, M., Gilroy, D., Kamarainen, A., Kornis, M., Preston, N., Schmitz, J. Uejio, C., Van De Bogert, M., Weidel, B., West, P., Zaks, D. and S. Carpenter 2009. Preparing for the future: Teaching scenario planning at the graduate level. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.Weidel, B., S. Carpenter, J. Cole, J. Hodgson, Kitchell, M. Pace, and C. Solomon. 2008 Carbon sources supporting fish growth in a north temperate lake. Aquatic Sciences. 70: 446-458.Zipkin, E., Sullivan, P., Cooch, E., Kraft, C., Shuter, B., Weidel, B. 2008. Overcompensatory response of a smallmouth bass population to harvest: release from competition? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Society 65:2279-2292.Josephson, D., J. Robinson, B. Weidel and C. Kraft. 2008. Long-term retention and visibility of visible implant elastomer tags in brook trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 28:1758-1761.Weidel, B., Ushikubo, T., Carpenter, S., Kita, N., Cole, J., Kitchell, J., Pace M., Valley, J. 2007. Diary of a bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus): daily δ13C and δ18O records in otoliths by ion microprobe. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 64:1641-1645.Pace, M.L., S.R. Carpenter, J.J. Cole, J.J. Coloso, J.F. Kitchell, J.R. Hodgson, J.J. Middelburg, N.D. Preston, C.T. Solomon, and B.C. Weidel. 2007. Does terrestrial organic carbon subsidize the planktonic food web in a clear-water lake? Limnology and Oceanography 52: 2177-2189.Weidel, B.C., Josephson, D.C., and Kraft, C.E. 2007. Fish community response to removal of introduced smallmouth bass in an oligotrophic Adirondack lake. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 178: 778-789Lepak, J.M., C.E. Kraft, and B.C. Weidel. 2006. Rapid food web recovery in response to removal of an introduced apex predator. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63: 569-575.Weidel, B.C., D.C. Josephson, C.C. Krueger. 2000. Diet and prey selection of naturalized smallmouth bass in an oligotrophic Adirondack lake. J. Freshwater Ecol. 15:411-420.Cline, T., D. Seekell, S. Carpenter, J. Hodgson, J. Kitchell, M.L. Pace, B. Weidel. 2014. Early warnings of regime shifts: evaluation of spatial indicators from a whole‐ecosystem experiment. Ecosphere 5(8).Cline, T.J., B.C. Weidel, J.F. Kitchell, and J.R. Hodgson. 2012. Growth response of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to catch-and-release angling: a 27-year mark-recapture study. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 69:224-230. 10.1139/f2011-150.Ahrenstorff, T.D., O.P. Jensen, B.C. Weidel, B. Mendsaikhan, and T.R. Hrabik. 2012. Abundance, spatial distribution, and diet of endangered Hovsgol grayling (Thymallus nigrescens). Environmental Biology of Fishes.Tetzlaff, J.C., Roth, B.R., Weidel, B.M., and J.F. Kitchell. 2011. Predation by native sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) on the invasive crayfish Orconectes rusticus in four northern Wisconsin lakes. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 20:133-143.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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