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David Kazyak, Ph.D.

Dave Kazyak is a Supervisory Research Fish Biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center in Kearneysville, WV.

Dave Kazyak is a Supervisory Research Fish Biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center leads a conservation genetics and genomics research team. His research applies quantitative approaches in conservation genetics and population dynamics to provide decision-relevant information for imperiled species. Dave Kazyak's current projects use cutting-edge genetics tools to identify biologically-appropriate management units, measure rates of gene flow, and characterize how isolation, genetic drift, and hatchery supplementation impact wild populations. He also is working to develop novel approaches to census imperiled fishes, including techniques using combinations of acoustic telemetry, side-scan sonar, and genetics. 

Professional Experience

  • 2017-Present. U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center. Research Fish Biologist.

  • 2015-2017. U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center (Integrated Statistics Contractor) - Postdoctoral Scientist. 

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. 2015. University of Maryland (Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science)

  • M.S. 2011. University of Maine (Wildlife Ecology)

  • B.S. 2008. Frostburg State University (Wildlife and Fisheries)

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Fisheries Society

  • North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society

Science and Products

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Gulf Sturgeon

Sturgeon Occurrence and Behavior in the Outer Continental Shelf

A new study aims to collect information on sturgeon temporal and spatial distribution to inform offshore wind energy and sand leasing operations.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico
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Sturgeon Occurrence and Behavior in the Outer Continental Shelf

A new study aims to collect information on sturgeon temporal and spatial distribution to inform offshore wind energy and sand leasing operations.
Learn More
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Dr. Dave Kazyak prepares to release an adult Atlantic Sturgeon prior to release as part of a collaborative research effort.

Conservation Genetics of Atlantic Sturgeon

Atlantic sturgeon genetic assignment testing assigns individuals to populations and is combined with life history data to present a comprehensive view of the species.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Conservation Genetics of Atlantic Sturgeon

Atlantic sturgeon genetic assignment testing assigns individuals to populations and is combined with life history data to present a comprehensive view of the species.
Learn More
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American Shad

Alosine Genetic Stock Identification and Tissue Repository

American Shad ( Alosa sapidissima ), Blueback Herring ( Alosa aestivalis ), and Alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ; collectively “alosines”) once supported large fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. However, impassable migration barriers, declines in habitat quality, and exploitation have led to declines in many spawning populations. Substantial resources have been invested to support the...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Alosine Genetic Stock Identification and Tissue Repository

American Shad ( Alosa sapidissima ), Blueback Herring ( Alosa aestivalis ), and Alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ; collectively “alosines”) once supported large fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. However, impassable migration barriers, declines in habitat quality, and exploitation have led to declines in many spawning populations. Substantial resources have been invested to support the...
Learn More

Individual assignments and microsatellite genotypes for Atlantic Sturgeon from 2021 (ver. 2.0, February 2024)

This dataset includes genotypes and individual-based assignment tests for 868 Atlantic Sturgeon selected for assignment by the National Marine Fisheries Service to meet management requirements under the Endangered Species Act.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Population genetic data for three at-risk tiger beetles Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. d. media, and Ellipsoptera puritana

This dataset includes microsatellite genotypes for 16 collections of tiger beetles (Ellipsoptera puritana) distributed in Connecticut and Maryland, United States and 44 collections of Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis and 14 collections of H. d. media distributed from Massachusetts to Florida, United States.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Population genetic data for flathead catfish from the Susquehanna and Delaware River basins in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA

This dataset includes microsatellite genotypes for 137 flathead catfish from the Susquehanna River and Delaware River basins in Pennslyvania and Maryland, USA. Each individual was genotyped at 13 loci. Additional information about sex, capture date, and size are also provided for most individuals.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Population genetic data for wild Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from the Midwestern United States and selected domestic strains

This dataset includes microsatellite genotypes for 8,454 brook trout from 188 wild Midwestern populations and 26 hatchery strains of both Midwest and eastern (Atlantic seaboard) origin. Each individual was genotyped at either 5 or 7 loci.
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Eastern Ecological Science Center

Genotypes of Atlantic Sturgeon collected from Canada to Georgia used in the development of a genetic baseline

This dataset includes microsatellite genotypes for 2510 Atlantic sturgeon from 18 different populations distributed from Canada to Georgia. Each individual was genotyped at 12 loci. Additional information about sex, capture date, and size are also provided.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Population genetics metrics for wild brook trout populations in North Carolina (1998-2016)

This data set includes information on 406 wild brook trout populations from across the State of North Carolina. Key genetics metrics on diversity and the extent of hatchery introgression are presented. These data accompany the following article: Kazyak, D.C., Rash, Jacob, Lubinski, B.A., and King, T.L., 2018, Assessing the impact of stocking northern-origin hatchery brook trout on the genetics
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Eastern Ecological Science Center
American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)
American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)
American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)
American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

American Shad captured in the Penobscot river n the U.S. state of Maine. (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

American Shad capture in the Penobscot river (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

American Shad captured in the Penobscot river n the U.S. state of Maine. (Credit: Joe Zydlewski)

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Headwater stream
Headwater stream
Headwater stream
Headwater stream

Headwater stream

Headwater stream

Headwater stream

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Eastern Ecological Science Center
Headwater stream

Headwater stream

Headwater stream

Headwater stream

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 36

Integrating genetic and demographic data to refine indices of abundance for Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River, New York

Critical to Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus recovery and monitoring is the ability to estimate abundance and identify age- and stock-specific threats to survival. As adult Atlantic sturgeon spend much of their lives broadly distributed in marine and estuarine environments, it is challenging to collect data needed to estimate these demographic parameters in the adult population. A
Authors
Shannon L. White, Richard M. Pendleton, Amanda Higgs, Barbara A. Lubinski, Robin L. Johnson, David C. Kazyak
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Validation of a molecular sex marker in three sturgeons from eastern North America

Despite the importance of sex-specific information for sturgeon conservation and management, sex identification has been a major challenge outside of mature adults on spawning grounds. Recent work identified a sex-specific locus (AllWSex2) that appears to be broadly conserved across many Acipenserids, but the assay was not validated for all species within the family. We tested the AllWSex2 marker
Authors
Nicholas M Sard, Brian R Krieser, Richard M. Pendleton, Barbara A. Lubinski, Robin L. Johnson, Dewayne A. Fox, Joel P Van Eenennaam, Jason E Kahn, Chris H Hager, Amanda L. Higgs, David C. Kazyak
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Genetic population assignments of Atlantic sturgeon provided to National Marine Fisheries Service, 2022

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Atlantic sturgeon) were once abundant and supported large-scale fisheries throughout much of the east coast of the United States. However, historic overharvest and habitat loss resulted in dramatic declines in abundance and eventual listing under the Endangered Species Act of the United States. As part of this listing, Atlantic sturgeon populations were divided int
Authors
Shannon L. White, Robin L. Johnson, Barbara A. Lubinski, Michael S. Eackles, David C. Kazyak
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

A new genomic resource to enable standardized surveys of SNPs across the native range of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Understanding how genetic diversity is distributed across spatiotemporal scales in species of conservation or management concern is critical for identifying large-scale mechanisms affecting local conservation status and implementing large-scale biodiversity monitoring programmes. However, cross-scale surveys of genetic diversity are often impractical within single studies, and combining datasets t
Authors
Nadya Mamoozadeh, Andrew R. Whiteley, Benjamin Letcher, David C. Kazyak, Charlene Tarsa, Mariah H. Meek
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Is now the time? Review of genetic rescue as a conservation tool for brook trout

Brook trout populations have been declining throughout their native range in the east coast of the United States. Many populations are now distributed in small, isolated habitat patches where low genetic diversity and high rates of inbreeding reduce contemporary viability and long-term adaptive potential. Although human-assisted gene flow could theoretically improve conservation outcomes through g
Authors
Shannon L. White, Jacob M Rash, David C. Kazyak
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey invasive carp strategic framework, 2023–27

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research has supported management of Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp), Mylopharyngodon piceus (black carp), Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp), and H. molitrix (silver carp), hereafter referred to collectively as invasive carps, for over a decade. This strategic framework identifies thematic research areas to guide funding decisions for USGS invasive carp r
Authors
Duane Chapman, Jon Amberg, Robin Calfee, Enrika Hlavacek, Jon Hortness, P. Ryan Jackson, David C. Kazyak, Brent Knights, James Roberts
By
Ecosystems Mission Area

Utilization of genetic data to inform native Brook Trout conservation in North Carolina

As North Carolina’s only native salmonid, Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis is a fish of considerable ecological and cultural significance in the state, but anthropogenic alterations to the landscape and introductions of nonnative salmonids have fragmented and reduced its native range. As a result, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has enacted numerous efforts to help conser
Authors
Jacob Rash, David C. Kazyak, Shannon L. White, Barbara A. Lubinski
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Decades of global sturgeon conservation efforts are threatened by an expanding captive culture industry

After centuries of overexploitation and habitat loss, many of the world's sturgeon (Acipenseridae) populations are at the brink of extinction. Although significant resources are invested into the conservation and restoration of imperiled sturgeons, the burgeoning commercial culture industry poses an imminent threat to the persistence of many populations. In the past decade, the number and distribu
Authors
Shannon L. White, Dewayne A. Fox, Tamar Beridze, Stephania K Bolden, Robin L. Johnson, Thomas F Savoy, Fleur Scheele, Andrea D Schreier, David C. Kazyak
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Conservation genetics and wild trout: Evolving opportunities to support management

It is increasingly apparent that our planet is undergoing rapid, unprecedented environmental change. These changes are already impacting wild trout populations, leading to declines in occupancy and abundance across increasingly fragmented landscapes. Many changes are projected to intensify in the coming decades, which are likely to be crucial to the future of many wild populations. While there is
Authors
David C. Kazyak, Shannon L. White, N. Mamoozadeh, John Hargrove, Mariah Meek
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Benefits of genetic data for the design of Brook Trout translocation efforts

With wild trout populations in decline, many conservation practitioners are evaluating the feasibility of incorporating reintroduction and genetic rescue into management frameworks. As interest in these conservation tools continues to grow, so too has the need for rigorous science to evaluate translocation success and improve the efficacy of future efforts. From this, it has become increasingly ap
Authors
Shannon L. White, Thomas C Johnson, Jacob M Rash, Barbara A. Lubinski, David C. Kazyak
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications

Multispecies risk assessments have developed within many international conservation programs, reflecting a widespread need for efficiency. Under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), multispecies assessments ultimately lead to species-level listing decisions. Although this approach provides opportunities for improved efficiency, it also risks overwhelming or biasing the assessment proces
Authors
Daniel Bruce Fitzgerald, Mary Freeman, Kelly O. Maloney, John A. Young, Amanda E. Rosenberger, David C. Kazyak, David R. Smith
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Evaluating sources of bias in pedigree-based estimates of breeding population size

Applications of genetic-based estimates of population size are expanding, especially for species for which traditional demographic estimation methods are intractable due to the rarity of adult encounters. Estimates of breeding population size (NS) are particularly amenable to genetic-based approaches as the parameter can be estimated using pedigrees reconstructed from genetic data gathered from di
Authors
Shannon L. White, Nicholas M Sard, Harold M Brundage III, Robin L. Johnson, Barbara A. Lubinski, Michael S. Eackles, Ian A Park, Dewayne A. Fox, David C. Kazyak
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Hilderbrand RH, Kazyak DC. 2017. Spatiotemporal patterns of Brook Trout abundance and implications for stream monitoring. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 37:353-362.
Kazyak DC, Hilderbrand RH, King TL, Keller SR, Chhatre VE. 2016. Hiding in plain sight: a case for cryptic metapopulations in Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). PLOS ONE 11(1): e0146295. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0146295
Kazyak DC, Sell MT, Cooper R, Hilderbrand RH. 2016. A comparison of catchability and mortality with circle and J hooks for stream-dwelling Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis. North American Journal of Fisheries
Management 36:259-266
Sell MT, Kazyak DC, Hilderbrand RH, Heft AA, Cooper RM. 2016. A comparison of circle hook size on hooking success, deep hooking rate, and post release mortality of hatchery-reared Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 36:254-258
Kazyak DC, Hilderbrand RH, Keller SK, Colaw M, Holloway AE, Morgan RP, King TL. 2015. Spatial structure of morphological and neutral genetic variation in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 144:480-490
Kazyak DC, Hilderbrand RH, Sell MT. 2014. Growth variation in a Mid-Atlantic Brook Trout population. Proceedings of Wild Trout XI. Supplement:350-356
Sell MT, Heft AA, Kazyak DC, Hilderbrand RH, Morgan RP. 2014. Short-term and seasonal movements of eastern Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the upper Savage River watershed, Garrett County, Maryland. Proceedings of Wild Trout XI. Supplement:357-362
Stranko SA, Ashton MJ, Hilderbrand RH, Weglein SL, Kazyak DC, Kilian JV. 2014. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrate densities in small streams with and without American Eels. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 143:700-708
Kazyak DC, Letcher BH, Zydlewski J, O'Donnell MJ. 2013. Growth variability of brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) in coastal Maine. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. doi: 10.1111/eff.12105
Kazyak DC, Hilderbrand RH, Holloway AE. 2013. Rapid visual assessment to determine sex in Brook Trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 33:665-668
Kazyak DC, Zydlewski J. 2012. High-density polyethylene: a new material for pass-over PIT antennas. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 32:49-52
Strain, GF, Kazyak DC. Raesly R. 2012. Headwaters and headlamps: a comparison of nocturnal and diurnal surveys to estimate richness, abundance, and detection of streamside salamanders. Herpetological Review 43:26-30

**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.

Friday's Findings - May 21 2021

Friday's Findings - May 21 2021

USGS Research to Support the Recovery of Endangered Atlantic Sturgeon 

Date: May 21, 2021 from 2-2:30 p.m. eastern time

Speaker: David Kazyak, Research...

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Science and Products

*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