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
Decades of global sturgeon conservation efforts are threatened by an expanding captive culture industry
Conservation genetics and wild trout: Evolving opportunities to support management
Benefits of genetic data for the design of Brook Trout translocation efforts
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications
Evaluating sources of bias in pedigree-based estimates of breeding population size
Population genetics of three at-risk tiger beetles Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. d. media, and Ellipsoptera puritana
Using genetic data to advance stream fish reintroduction science: A case study in brook trout
Landscape and stocking effects on population genetics of Tennessee Brook Trout
Stock composition of the historical New York Bight Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) intercept fishery revealed through microsatellite analysis of archived spines
Population genetics of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the southern Appalachian Mountains
Phenotypic variation in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) at broad spatial scales makes morphology an insufficient basis for taxonomic reclassification of the species
Optimization of a suite of flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) microsatellite markers for understanding the population genetics of introduced populations in the northeast United States
Non-USGS Publications**
Management 36:259-266
**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.
Science and Products
Decades of global sturgeon conservation efforts are threatened by an expanding captive culture industry
Conservation genetics and wild trout: Evolving opportunities to support management
Benefits of genetic data for the design of Brook Trout translocation efforts
Multispecies approaches to status assessments in support of endangered species classifications
Evaluating sources of bias in pedigree-based estimates of breeding population size
Population genetics of three at-risk tiger beetles Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. d. media, and Ellipsoptera puritana
Using genetic data to advance stream fish reintroduction science: A case study in brook trout
Landscape and stocking effects on population genetics of Tennessee Brook Trout
Stock composition of the historical New York Bight Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) intercept fishery revealed through microsatellite analysis of archived spines
Population genetics of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the southern Appalachian Mountains
Phenotypic variation in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) at broad spatial scales makes morphology an insufficient basis for taxonomic reclassification of the species
Optimization of a suite of flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) microsatellite markers for understanding the population genetics of introduced populations in the northeast United States
Non-USGS Publications**
Management 36:259-266
**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.
*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