Owen Gorman is a Research Fisheries Biologist based in Ashland, WI.
The Lake Superior Biological Station in Ashland, Wisconsin has served as my duty station since entering the Great Lakes Science Center’s deepwater program in 1999. My early initiatives focused on building the Lake Superior research program around the capabilities of a new research vessel, the R/V Kiyi, the largest of its kind on the Great Lakes. My diverse research interests are reflected in my training and long career experience. Current research topics include community ecology, population dynamics, biogeography, physiology, and life history of fishes of the Great Lakes region. Much of my research reflects a strong evolutionary perspective.
Professional Experience
U.S. Geological Survey
September 1999-present. Research Fishery Biologist, Lake Superior Biological Station, Ashland, Wisconsin. Served as Station Chief 1999-2004. Served as Acting Branch Chief, Upper Great Lakes Ecosystem, 2001-2002.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
April 1991-September 1999. Fishery Management Biologist, Supervisory Research Fishery Biologist and Project Leader, Grand Canyon Fishery Resources Office, Flagstaff, Arizona.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
March 1988-April 1991. Post-doctoral Fellow.
University of Memphis (Memphis State), Memphis, Tennessee
1986-1991. Adjunct Professor.
EnCAP, Incorporated, DeKalb, Illinois (Environmental Consultants and Planners, Inc.)
1985-1988. Senior scientist.
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
1984-1986. Assistant/Adjunct Professor.
Education and Certifications
Certified Ecologist by the Ecological Society of America Board of Professional Certification
Ph.D. 1984, University of Kansas, Division of Biological Sciences, Department of Systematics and Ecology, Lawrence, Kansas
M.Phil. 1983, University of Kansas, Division of Biological Sciences, Department of Systematics and Ecology, Lawrence, Kansas
M.S. 1976, Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana
B.S. 1973, University of Delaware, Department of Entomology and Applied Ecology, Newark, Delaware
Honors and Awards
1989-1991 NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship (National Research Service Award)
1980-1982 NSF Predoctoral Fellowship and Dissertation Research Grant
Science and Products
Publications by this scientist
Status and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2020
Status and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2021
Distributions of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) in the upper Great Lakes in the mid-twentieth century, when populations were in decline
Lake Superior Kiyi reproductive biology
Trophic transfer efficiency in the Lake Superior food web: Assessing the impacts of non-native species
State of Lake Superior ecosystem in 2017
Does fecundity of cisco vary in the Upper Great Lakes?
Status and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2019
Prey fish communities of the Laurentian Great Lakes: A cross-basin overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2016
Ecosystem change and population declines in gulls: Shifting baseline considerations for assessing ecological integrity of protected areas
Effect of light intensity and substrate type on siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) predation on deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii)
Status and Trends in the Lake Superior Fish Community, 2017
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.
Data releases by this scientist
Bottom-trawl and gill-net data from the Upper Great Lakes, collected by R/V Cisco, 1952?1962
News about this scientist
Science and Products
- Publications
Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 51Status and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2020
The Lake Superior fish community within Management Unit WI-2 was sampled in July 2020 with daytime bottom trawls at 11 nearshore stations. The 11 locations sampled were long-term monitoring sites that had been annually sampled since 1974. In 2020, the number of species collected at each site ranged from 0 to 13, with a mean of 6.3 and median of six. All comparisons to 2020 results were limited toAuthorsMark Vinson, Lori M. Evrard, Owen Gorman, Daniel YuleStatus and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2021
The Lake Superior nearshore fish community was sampled in May-June 2021 with daytime bottom trawl tows at 45 stations located in USA waters. The 45 locations sampled were long-term monitoring sites that had been annually sampled since 1978. All comparisons to 2021 results were limited to past collections from USA waters, as compared to previous years, where comparisons included USA and Canadian siAuthorsMark Vinson, Daniel Yule, Lori M. Evrard, Owen T. Gorman, Sydney B PhillipsDistributions of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) in the upper Great Lakes in the mid-twentieth century, when populations were in decline
The restoration of the once abundant Cisco (Coregonus artedi) is a management interest across the Laurentian Great Lakes. To inform the restoration, we (1) described historical distributions of Cisco and (2) explored whether non-indigenous Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) played a role in the decline of Cisco populations across the upper Great Lakes (i.e., Lakes SuAuthorsYu-Chun Kao, Renee Elizabeth Renauer, David Bunnell, Owen Gorman, Randy L. EshenroderLake Superior Kiyi reproductive biology
ObjectiveThe Lake Superior Kiyi Coregonus kiyi is an understudied species being considered for reintroduction into Laurentian Great Lakes where it no longer occurs. Herein, we provide descriptions of Kiyi reproductive biology with the intention of guiding potential gamete collections for propagation.MethodsData were collected on Kiyi spawning timing, spawning locations, spawning season catch ratesAuthorsMark Vinson, Matthew E. Herbert, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Jamie A. Dobosenski, Lori M. Evrard, Owen Gorman, Joshua F Lyons, Sydney B Phillips, Daniel YuleTrophic transfer efficiency in the Lake Superior food web: Assessing the impacts of non-native species
Ecosystem-based management relies on understanding how perturbations influence ecosystem structure and function (e.g., invasive species, exploitation, abiotic changes). However, data on unimpacted systems are scarce; therefore, we often rely on impacted systems to make inferences about ‘natural states.’ Among the Laurentian Great Lakes, Lake Superior provides a unique case study to address non-natAuthorsBryan G. Mathias, Thomas R. Hrabik, Joel C. Hoffman, Owen Gorman, Michael J. Seider, Michael E. Sierszen, Mark Vinson, Daniel Yule, Peder M. YuristaState of Lake Superior ecosystem in 2017
This report describes the status of fish species and their habitat in Lake Superior during the reporting period of 2012-2016 in response to achievement of fish community objectives (FCOs) established by fishery managers for the lake. The overarching goal for the FCOs continued to be met as the fish community remained diverse, self-regulating, dominated by indigenous species, and able to support suAuthorsBryan G. Matthias, Thomas R. Hrabik, Joel C. Hoffman, Owen Gorman, Mike J Seider, Michael E. Sierszen, Mark Vinson, Daniel Yule, Peder M. YuristaDoes fecundity of cisco vary in the Upper Great Lakes?
Fecundity of fish is influenced by several factors, including body length, condition, population density, and environmental conditions. It follows that fecundity of fish populations can exhibit spatiotemporal variability; thus, periodic quantification of length–fecundity relationships is important for management. We hypothesized that average fecundity of Cisco Coregonus artedi in the upper LaurentAuthorsDaniel Yule, Jamie A. Dobosenski, Jared T. Myers, Mark Ebener, Randall M. Claramunt, James E. McKenna, H. George Ketola, Owen T. GormanStatus and trends in the Lake Superior fish community, 2019
The Lake Superior fish community was sampled in 2019 with daytime bottom trawls at 76 nearshore and 35 offshore stations distributed throughout the lake. In the nearshore zone, 25,131 fish from 24 species or morphotypes were collected. The number of species collected at nearshore stations ranged from 0 to 15, with a mean of 5.6 and median of five. Nearshore mean biomass was 5.7 kg/ha which was simAuthorsMark Vinson, Lori M. Evrard, Owen Gorman, Caroline Lynn Rosinski, Daniel YulePrey fish communities of the Laurentian Great Lakes: A cross-basin overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2016
Annual bottom trawl surveys were initiated in the 1970s in Laurentian Great Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Ontario and in 1990 in Erie to provide annual assessments of the status and trends of prey fish communities. Native Cisco Coregonus artedi and Bloater C. hoyi dominated the prey fish community of Lake Superior. Prey fish communities in lakes Huron and Michigan were dominated by nonnativeAuthorsOwen GormanEcosystem change and population declines in gulls: Shifting baseline considerations for assessing ecological integrity of protected areas
In Lake Superior's Pukaskwa National Park (PNP) in northern Ontario, Canada, herring gull (Larus argentatus) population size is used as an indicator of ecological integrity. Since the 1970s, gull populations have declined by 70% suggesting deteriorating park conditions. However, most other rated park indicators show stable or positive trends. Here, we focus on reconciling these seemingly disparateAuthorsBruce Laurich, Christine Drake, Owen Gorman, Courtney Ivrine, Jenna MacLaurin, Chloe Chartrand, Craig E. HebertEffect of light intensity and substrate type on siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) predation on deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii)
Foraging characteristics of siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) on deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) were studied under ecologically relevant downwelling light intensities (9.0 × 108 to 1.62 × 1011 photons m−2 s−1) and emission spectrum (500–510 nm) on varying substrates (gravel, sand, and black fabric). Siscowet reaction distance within our trials increased with light iAuthorsTrevor D. Keyler, Thomas R. Hrabik, Allen F. Mensinger, Loranzie S Rogers, Owen GormanStatus and Trends in the Lake Superior Fish Community, 2017
In 2017, the Lake Superior fish community was sampled with daytime bottom trawls at 76 nearshore and 36 offshore stations. Spring nearshore and summer offshore water temperatures in 2017 were similar to slightly cooler than the 1991-2017 average. In the nearshore zone, a total of 28,902 individual fish from 27 species or morphotypes were collected. The number of species collected at each station rAuthorsMark Vinson, Lori M. Evrard, Owen T. Gorman, Daniel YuleNon-USGS Publications**
Gorman, O. T. and R. R. Roth. 1989. Consequences of a temporally and spatially variable food supply for an unexploited gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) population. American Midland Naturalist 121:41-60.Gorman, O. T. 1988. The dynamics of habitat use in a guild of Ozark minnows. Ecological Monographs 58:1-18.Gorman, O. T. 1988. An experimental study of habitat use in an assemblage of Ozark minnows. Ecology 69:1239-1250.Gorman, O. T. 1987. Habitat segregation in an assemblage of minnows in an Ozark stream. Pages 33-41 in W. J. Matthews and D. Heins, editors. Evolutionary and Community Ecology of North American Stream Fishes. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.Gorman, O. T. 1987. Fishes and aquatic insects of Nippersink Creek, McHenry County, Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois Academy of Science 80:233-252.
Gorman, O. T. 1987. A survey of the fishes and macroinvertebrates of some small streams in Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties, Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois Academy of Science 80:253-272.Gorman, O. T. 1986. Assemblage organization of Indiana stream fishes: the effects of rivers on assemblages in adventitious streams. American Naturalist 128:611-616.Cross, F. B., O. T. Gorman and S. G. Haslouer. 1983. The Red River Shiner, Notropis bairdi in Kansas, with notes on depletion of its Arkansas River cognate, Notropis girardi. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 86:93-98.Toth, L. A., D. R. Dudley, J. R. Karr and O. T. Gorman. 1982. Natural and man induced variability in a silverjaw minnow (Ericymba buccata) population. American Midland Naturalist 107:284-293.Gorman, O. T., and J. R. Karr. 1978. Habitat structure and stream fish communities. Ecology 59:507-515.Mayden, R. L., F. B. Cross, and O. T. Gorman. 1987. Distributional history of the rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax (Salmoniformes: Osmeridae), in the Mississippi River basin. Copeia 1987:1051-1055.Mandler, J., O. T. Gorman, S. Ludwig, E. Schroeder, W. M. Fitch, R. G. Webster and C. Scholtissek. 1990. Derivation of the nucleoproteins (NP) of influenza A viruses isolated from marine mammals. Virology 176:255-261.Gorman, O. T., W. J. Bean, Y. Kawaoka and R. G. Webster. 1990. Evolution of the nucleoprotein gene of influenza A virus. J. Virology 64:1487-1497.Gorman, O. T., R. Donis, Y. Kawaoka and R. G. Webster. 1990. Evolution of influenza A virus PB2 genes: implications for evolution of the ribonucleoprotein complex and origin of human influenza A virus. Journal of Virology 64:4893-4902.Gorman, O.T., W.J. Bean, Y. Kawaoka, I. Donatelli, Y. Guo, and R.G. Webster. 1991. Evolution of influenza A virus nucleoprotein genes: implications for the origin of H1N1 human and classical swine viruses. J. Virology 65:3704-3714.Ito, T., O.T. Gorman, Y. Kawaoka, W.J. Bean, and R.G. Webster. 1991. Evolutionary analysis of the influenza A virus M gene with comparisons of the M1 and M2 proteins. J. Virology 65:5491-5498.Bean, W., M. Schell, J. Katz, Y. Kawaoka, C. Naeve, O. Gorman, and R.G. Webster. 1992. Evolution of the H3 influenza virus hemagglutinin from human and nonhuman hosts. J. Virology 66:1129-1138.Gorman, O.T. 1992. Evolutionary biology and historical ecology: assembly, structure, and organization of stream fish communities. Pages 659-688 in R. L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, Historical Ecology, and North American Freshwater Fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.Gorman, O.T., W.J. Bean, and R.G. Webster. 1992. Evolutionary processes in influenza viruses: divergence, rapid evolution and stasis. In J. Holland (editor). Genetic diversity of RNA viruses. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 176:75-97.Guo, Y., M. Wang, Y. Kawaoka, O. Gorman, T. Ito, T. Saito, and R. G. Webster. 1992. Characterization of a new avian-like influenza A virus from horses in China. Virology 188: 245-255.Webster, R.G., W.J. Bean, O.T. Gorman, T.M. Chambers, and Y. Kawaoka. 1992. Evolution and ecology of influenza A viruses. Microbiological Reviews 56:152-179.Kawaoka, Y., Bean, W.J., Gorman, O.T., and others. 1993. The roles of birds and pigs in the generation of pandemic strains of human influenza. Pages 187-191 in C. Hannoun and Alan P. Kendal (editors). Options for the Control of Influenza II: Proceedings of the International Conference on Options for the Control of Influenza. Elsevier Science, AmsterdamWebster, R.G., W.J. Bean, O.T. Gorman. 1995. Evolution of influenza viruses: rapid evolution and stasis. Pages 531-544 in Gibbs, A.J., C.H. Calisher, and F. Garcia Arenal, editors. Molecular Basis of Virus Evolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.Carmichael, G.J., J.H. Williamson, O.T. Gorman, and T.R. Tiersch. 1996. Field propagation techniques for the endangered razorback sucker. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 16:963-966.Tiersch, T.R., W.R.Wayman, C.R. Figiel, Jr., O.T. Gorman, J.H. Williamson, G.J. Carmichael. 1997. Field collection, handling and storage of sperm of the endangered razorback sucker. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17:167-173.Kawaoka, Y., O.T. Gorman, I. Toshihiro, K. Wells, R.O. Donis, M.R. Castrucci, I. Donatelli, and R.G. Webster. 1998. Influence of host species on the evolution of the nonstructural (NS) gene of influenza A viruses. Virus Research 55: 143-156.Tiersch, T.R., C.R. Figiel, Jr., W.R. Wayman, J.H. Williamson, Carmichael, G.J., and O.T. Gorman. 1998. Cryopresevation of sperm of the endangered razorback sucker. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 127:95-104.Gorman, O.T. and D.M. Stone. 1999. Ecology of spawning humpback chub, Gila cypha, in the Little Colorado River in Grand Canyon. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55:115-133.Meretsky, V.J., R.A. Valdez, M.E. Douglas, M.J. Brouder, O.T. Gorman and P.C. Marsh. 2000. Spatiotemporal variation in length-weight relationships of endangered humpback chub: implications for conservation and management. Trans. Amer. Fish Soc. 129:419-428.Tiersch, T.R., C.R. Figiel, Jr., W.R. Wayman, J.H. Williamson, G.J. Carmichael, and O.T. Gorman. 2000. Cryopreservation of Sperm of the Endangered Razorback Sucker. Pages 117-122 in Tiersch,T.R. and P.M. Mazik, eds. Cryopreservation in Aquatic Species. Advances in World Aquaculture, Volume 7, World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.Gorman, O.T. 2000. Ecological and genetic considerations for collection of gametes from wild fishes. Pages 319-322 in Tiersch, T.R. and P.M. Mazik, eds. Cryopreservation in Aquatic Species. Advances in World Aquaculture, Volume 7, World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.Gorman, O. T. 1973. Distribution of gray squirrels with respect to spatial variation in food abundance. B.S. thesis, University of Delaware, Newark. 47 pages.Gorman, O. T. 1976. Diversity and stability in the fish communities of some Indiana and Panama streams. M.S. thesis, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana. 102 pagesGorman, O. T. 1983. The determinants of habitat segregation among Ozark minnows. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kansas, Lawrence. 184 pages.**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
Bottom-trawl and gill-net data from the Upper Great Lakes, collected by R/V Cisco, 1952?1962
The data release includes part of the bottom-trawl and gill-net survey data collected between 1952 and 1962 from the research vessel R/V Cisco. The bottom-trawl dataset includes tables for fishing operations and effort (BT_OP.csv), fish catch (BT_Catch.csv), and individual length-weight-sex-maturity (LWSM) records (BT_Fish.csv) for only a subset of species (details below). The gill-net dataset inc - Multimedia
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