Marc A Chalupnicki
Marc Chalupnicki is a Biological Science Technician based in Cortland, NY.
In 1999, I attended Onondaga Community College where I studied Mathematics and Science. While at O.C.C., I enrolled in a course in which I was able to travel to San Salvador and study tropical marine biology. This sparked my interest in marine biology and led me to continue my studies at SUNY Brockport. I graduated in 2001 from SUNY Brockport with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Biology with a minor in Chemistry. After graduation, I began working at a Soil and Water Conservation District as part of the Youth Corps and found a new interest in freshwater ecology. My curiosity about environmental science and the interactions between aquatic organisms and their environment continued to grow and I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Aquatic Ecology/Toxicology again at SUNY Brockport. Since 2004, I have been working as a Research Technician at the USGS Tunison Lab of Aquatic Science in Cortland. NY. In my position I have the ability to assist researchers on a variety of topics that include fish ecology, fish diet analysis, stream habitat assessment, GAP analysis, Atlantic Salmon and Coregonid fish culture, and fish physiology to name a few.
I have worked at the Tunison Lab of Aquatic Science in Cortland, NY for the past eight years as a biological science technician. During that time I have assisted research scientists on various projects that have ranged from habitat assessments, diet evaluations, simulation computer modeling of the Great Lakes benthic organisms, toxicology and avoidance testing. The first two years involved an intense field evaluation of lake sturgeon distribution and habitat use in a northern tributary to the St. Lawrence River. I was then assigned to assist multiple research scientists where I am still today on their various research projects and play an important role in collecting the filed data, inputing the raw data, analyzing the results and at times helping write up the findings in a publication or a presentation.
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Data releases by this scientist
Survival and ancillary data associated with Cisco acoustic tagging experiment conducted in 2018 and 2019
Genetic species identification of larval Coregonines from Chaumont Bay (New York), Lake Ontario
Publications by this scientist
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) culture manual
The primary objective of the Atlantic Salmon Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore Atlantic salmon (Linnaeus, 1758; Salmo salar) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on evaluating the survival of stocked Atlantic salmon in current Lake Ontario conditions to create a g
Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and bloater (Coregonus hoyi) culture manual
The primary objective of the Coregonine Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore native coregonines, specifically Coregonus artedi (Lesueur, 1818; ciscoes) and Coregonus hoyi (Milner, 1874; bloaters) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on pr
Spawning habitat selection and egg deposition by reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in a tributary to Cayuga Lake, NY
Field and laboratory validation of new sampling gear to quantify coregonine egg deposition and larval emergence across spawning habitat gradients
Larval cisco and lake whitefish exhibit high distributional overlap within nursery areas
Results of the collaborative Lake Ontario bloater restoration stocking and assessment, 2012–2020
Acoustic tag retention and tagging mortality of juvenile cisco Coregonus artedi
Summer Diet of Juvenile Lake Sturgeon Reintroduced into the Genesee and St. Regis Rivers, New York USA
Spatial segregation of cisco (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (C. clupeaformis) larvae in Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario
Differentiation between lake whitefish and cisco eggs based on diameter
Simulation of rapid ecological change in Lake Ontario
Feeding ecology of Brook Silverside, Golden Shiner, and Subyearling Pumpkinseed in a Lake Ontario embayment
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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Data releases by this scientist
Survival and ancillary data associated with Cisco acoustic tagging experiment conducted in 2018 and 2019
These data include survival information for Cisco in the laboratory for up to 30 days after surgical implantation of two different sizes of Lotek acoustic tags. Three-hundred fish of a range of sizes were used for the implantation and controls of this experiment, which was repeated three time. Ancillary data of surgical condition, recovery, and time until death or tag expulsion were also recorded,Genetic species identification of larval Coregonines from Chaumont Bay (New York), Lake Ontario
Location, occurrence, collection information, and genetic species identification data in support of an analysis of the spatial separation of Lake Whitefish and Cisco larvae in Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario, the last known spawning area of both species in American waters of Lake Ontario. Genetic species identification of larval coregonines collected between April 2004 and 2015 is provided for larval s - Publications
Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 35Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) culture manual
The primary objective of the Atlantic Salmon Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore Atlantic salmon (Linnaeus, 1758; Salmo salar) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on evaluating the survival of stocked Atlantic salmon in current Lake Ontario conditions to create a g
AuthorsMarc A. Chalupnicki, Rich Chiavelli, James E. McKennaCisco (Coregonus artedi) and bloater (Coregonus hoyi) culture manual
The primary objective of the Coregonine Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore native coregonines, specifically Coregonus artedi (Lesueur, 1818; ciscoes) and Coregonus hoyi (Milner, 1874; bloaters) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on pr
AuthorsMarc A. Chalupnicki, Gregg E. Mackey, James E. McKennaSpawning habitat selection and egg deposition by reintroduced Lake Sturgeon in a tributary to Cayuga Lake, NY
In June 2017, we documented the first observed spawning event by a reintroduced population of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in Fall Creek, a tributary to Cayuga Lake, New York, USA. This is the first observed spawning encounter of adult Lake Sturgeon since the beginning of the multi-agency Lake Sturgeon restoration effort in Cayuga Lake initiated in 1995 by the New York State Department ofAuthorsDawn E. Dittman, Marc Chalupnicki, Phyllis Randall, Emily C. Zollweg‐HoranField and laboratory validation of new sampling gear to quantify coregonine egg deposition and larval emergence across spawning habitat gradients
The influence of habitat and environmental conditions on Great Lakes coregonine reproduction is not well described, in part, because we lack sampling gears for early life stages that are effective across habitats. We designed new egg and larval emergence traps to quantify coregonine reproductive success across variable depths and substrates and tested them in laboratory and field settings. In theAuthorsBrian C. Weidel, Cameron Davis, Brian O'Malley, Hannah Lachance, Christopher Osborne, Alexander J. Gatch, Stacy Furgal, Gregg Mackey, Marc Chalupnicki, Nicholas Sard, Aaron C. Heisey, Michael Connerton, Brian F. LantryLarval cisco and lake whitefish exhibit high distributional overlap within nursery areas
Coregonine fishes, including lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and cisco (C. artedi), are socioecologically important in the Laurentian Great Lakes and of conservation concern, but the processes driving recruitment variability are unclear. In Lake Ontario, cisco and lake whitefish exhibit similar spawning behaviours and early life histories, but population trajectories are diverging. One hypAuthorsTaylor A. Brown, Lars G. Rudstam, Jeremy P. Holden, Brian C. Weidel, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Ann J. Ropp, Marc Chalupnicki, James E. McKenna, Suresh A. SethiResults of the collaborative Lake Ontario bloater restoration stocking and assessment, 2012–2020
Bloater, Coregonus hoyi, are deepwater planktivores native to the Laurentian Great Lakes and Lake Nipigon. Interpretations of commercial fishery time series suggest they were common in Lake Ontario through the early 1900s but by the 1950s were no longer captured by commercial fishers. Annual bottom trawl surveys that began in 1978 and sampled extensively across putative bloater habitat only yieldeAuthorsBrian C. Weidel, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Marc Chalupnicki, Michael Connerton, Steve Davis, John M. Dettmers, Timothy Drew, Aaron T. Fisk, Roger Gordon, S. Dale Hanson, Jeremy Holden, Mark E. Holey, James H. Johnson, Timothy B. Johnson, Colin Lake, Brian F. Lantry, Kevin K. Loftus, Gregg E. Mackey, James E. McKenna, Michael J. Millard, Scott P. Minihkeim, Brian O'Malley, Andrew C. Todd, Steven Lapan, Adam RupnikAcoustic tag retention and tagging mortality of juvenile cisco Coregonus artedi
Release of hatchery-reared juvenile cisco (Coregonus artedi) is an important tool for recovering Great Lakes populations, but post-release survival is unknown. Telemetry using small acoustic tags provides opportunities to assess the efficacy of hatchery-reared fish releases. However, better understanding of the tolerance of juvenile cisco to acoustic tags is needed. Juvenile cisco mortality and taAuthorsJames E. McKenna, Suresh Sethi, Grant Marvin Scholten, Jeremy W. Kraus, Marc ChalupnickiSummer Diet of Juvenile Lake Sturgeon Reintroduced into the Genesee and St. Regis Rivers, New York USA
The restoration of threatened species involves understanding multiple aspects of the life history and ecology of the target species. One important consideration in the restoration of threatened species is feeding ecology. We examined the summer diet of reintroduced juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Genesee (n = 119, ages 1 and 2) and the St. Regis rivers (n = 40, ages 1, 2, 5, 6AuthorsDawn E. Dittman, Marc ChalupnickiSpatial segregation of cisco (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (C. clupeaformis) larvae in Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario
Abstract Two of the remaining coregonine species in Lake Ontario, cisco (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (C. clupeaformis), spawn in Chaumont Bay, NY. Larvae co-occur in the spring but are difficult to distinguish morphologically. We applied genetic species identification using microsatellite DNA loci of 268 larvae from known locations in nearshore and offshore habitats in Chaumont Bay to detAuthorsJames E. McKenna, Wendylee Stott, Marc Chalupnicki, James H. JohnsonDifferentiation between lake whitefish and cisco eggs based on diameter
Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are native fish species of management concern in the Laurentian Great Lakes that often overlap in spawning locations and timing. Thus, species-level inference from in situ sampling requires methods to differentiate their eggs. Genetic barcoding and hatching eggs to visually identify larvae are used but can be time and cost intensAuthorsMatthew R. Paufve, Suresh Sethi, Lars G. Rudstam, Brian C. Weidel, Brian F. Lantry, Marc Chalupnicki, Kristopher Dey, Matthew HerbertSimulation of rapid ecological change in Lake Ontario
Lower trophic level processes are integral to proper functioning of large aquatic ecosystems and have been disturbed in Lake Ontario by various stressors including exotic species. The invasion of benthic habitats by dreissenid mussels has led to systemic changes and native faunal declines. Size-dependent physiological rates, spatial differences and connectivity, competition, and differential populAuthorsJames E. McKenna, Marc Chalupnicki, Dawn E. Dittman, James M. WatkinsFeeding ecology of Brook Silverside, Golden Shiner, and Subyearling Pumpkinseed in a Lake Ontario embayment
Fish feeding ecology has been shown to vary over a 24-h period in terms of the prey consumed and feeding intensity. Consequently, in order to best determine the interspecific feeding associations within a fish community, examination of the diet at multiple times over a 24-h period is often necessary. We examined the diel feeding ecology of three fish species that were numerically dominant in a LakAuthorsJames H. Johnson, Marc Chalupnicki, Ross Abbett, Avriel R Diaz, Christopher C NackNon-USGS Publications**
Chalupnicki, M. A., and J. Haynes. 2011. Health of Brockport Creek following contaminated sediment removal from an upstream tributary. Journal of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. 3(5):127-138.**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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