Shannon is a fisheries ecologist who combines molecular technologies, novel field methods, and advanced statistical modeling to provide decision-relevant information for species of conservation concern. Much of her research focuses on understanding and mitigating anthropogenic threats to coldwater and anadromous fishes.
Education and Certifications
2019, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, Ecology
2012, M.S., Virginia Tech, Fisheries and Wildlife
2010, B.S., Randolph-Macon College, Biology and Environmental Studies
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 17
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
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
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
Population genetics of three at-risk tiger beetles Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. d. media, and Ellipsoptera puritana
Many tiger beetles (Family Cicindelidae) are critically imperiled due to their dependence on small patches of suitable habitat that are frequently threatened by natural and anthropogenic disturbances. In the eastern United States, conservation of three tiger beetles - Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. dorsalis media, and Ellipsoptera puritana - has been inhibited by the absence of population
Using genetic data to advance stream fish reintroduction science: A case study in brook trout
Widespread extirpation of native fish populations has led to a rise in species reintroduction efforts worldwide. Most efforts have relied on demographic data alone to guide project design and evaluate success. However, the genetic characteristics of many imperiled fish populations including low diversity, local adaptation, and hatchery introgression emphasize the importance of genetic data in the
Stock composition of the historical New York Bight Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) intercept fishery revealed through microsatellite analysis of archived spines
A targeted commercial fishery for Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus once operated in the New York Bight, where it was assumed that most harvested Atlantic Sturgeon were natal to the Hudson River population. However, more recent evidence suggests that the fishery may have been targeting a mixed-stock aggregation, in which case harvested Atlantic Sturgeon could have been comprised of
Phenotypic variation in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) at broad spatial scales makes morphology an insufficient basis for taxonomic reclassification of the species
It was recently proposed that there are three new species of Salvelinus with microendemic distributions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA. The three species of Salvelinus were hypothesized to be distinct from their congener Brook Trout S. fontinalis based on three meristic traits—pored lateral-line scales, vertebral counts, and number of basihyal teeth. After analyses that
Optimization of a suite of flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) microsatellite markers for understanding the population genetics of introduced populations in the northeast United States
Flathead catfish are rapidly expanding into nonnative waterways throughout the United States. Once established, flathead catfish may cause disruptions to the local ecosystem through consumption and competition with native fishes, including species of conservation concern. Flathead catfish often become a popular sport fish in their introduced range, and so management strategies must frequently bala
Establishment of a microsatellite genetic baseline for North American Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser o. oxyrhinchus) and range-wide analysis of population genetics
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is a long-lived, anadromous species that is broadly distributed along the Atlantic coast of North America. Historic overharvest and habitat degradation resulted in significant declines to Atlantic sturgeon populations and, following decades of limited recovery, the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act of the United States in 2012.
Behavior at short temporal scales drives dispersal dynamics and survival in a metapopulation of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
1) Movement has been studied extensively in stream salmonids, and most data suggest that population-level behavior is best described by a leptokurtic distribution. This distribution emphasizes the large proportion of sedentary individuals in a population, which can implicitly lead to assumptions of low population connectivity and overlook the ecological significance of rare individuals with more m
Improved understanding and prediction of freshwater fish communities through the use of joint species distribution models
Two primary goals in fisheries research are to (i) understand how habitat and environmental conditions influence the distribution of fishes across the landscape and (ii) make predictions about how fish communities will respond to environmental and anthropogenic change. In inland, freshwater ecosystems, quantitative approaches traditionally used to accomplish these goals largely ignore the effects
A novel quantitative framework for riverscape genetics
Riverscape genetics, which applies concepts in landscape genetics to riverine ecosystems, lack appropriate quantitative methods that address the spatial autocorrelation structure of linear stream networks and account for bidirectional geneflow. To address these challenges, we present a general framework for the design and analysis of riverscape genetic studies. Our framework starts with the estima
Non-USGS Publications**
White, S.L. 2017. In brook trout, sometimes the risk is worth the reward. Fisheries 42: 629. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03632415.2017.1396050
Carlson, A.K., K.M. Dunmall, R.E. Boucek, N.W. Cole, J.A. Kerns, R.M. Krogman, M.C. Lloyd, V.M. Nguyen, T.R. Wendt, S.L. White, K.L. Wilson. 2015. How to navigate fisheries education and employment. Fisheries 40: 196-197. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03632415.2015.1025952
White, S.L., and D.J. Orth. 2014. Reproductive biology of Clinch dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori). Southeastern Naturalist 13: 735-743. https://doi.org/10.1656/058.013.0404
White, S.L., and D.J. Orth. 2014. Distribution and habitat correlations of Clinch dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori). American Midland Naturalist 171: 311-320. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43822735
White, S.L., and C. Gowan. 2014. Social learning enhances search image acquisition in foraging brook trout. Environmental Biology of Fishes 97: 523-528. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-013-0171-1
White, S.L., and D.J. Orth. 2013. Ontogenetic and comparative morphology of Clinch dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori). Copeia 2013: 750-756. https://doi.org/10.1643/CG-13-038
White, S.L., and C. Gowan. 2013. Brook trout use individual recognition and transitive inference to determine social rank. Behavioral Ecology 24: 63-69. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ars136
White, S.L., C. Gowan, K.D. Fausch, J.G. Harris, and W.C. Saunders. 2011. Response of trout populations in five Colorado streams two decades after habitat manipulation. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 68: 2057-2063. https://doi.org/10.1139/f2011-125
**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.
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.
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.
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.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 17
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 conserDecades 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 distribuEvaluating 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 diPopulation genetics of three at-risk tiger beetles Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. d. media, and Ellipsoptera puritana
Many tiger beetles (Family Cicindelidae) are critically imperiled due to their dependence on small patches of suitable habitat that are frequently threatened by natural and anthropogenic disturbances. In the eastern United States, conservation of three tiger beetles - Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, H. dorsalis media, and Ellipsoptera puritana - has been inhibited by the absence of populationUsing genetic data to advance stream fish reintroduction science: A case study in brook trout
Widespread extirpation of native fish populations has led to a rise in species reintroduction efforts worldwide. Most efforts have relied on demographic data alone to guide project design and evaluate success. However, the genetic characteristics of many imperiled fish populations including low diversity, local adaptation, and hatchery introgression emphasize the importance of genetic data in theStock composition of the historical New York Bight Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) intercept fishery revealed through microsatellite analysis of archived spines
A targeted commercial fishery for Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus once operated in the New York Bight, where it was assumed that most harvested Atlantic Sturgeon were natal to the Hudson River population. However, more recent evidence suggests that the fishery may have been targeting a mixed-stock aggregation, in which case harvested Atlantic Sturgeon could have been comprised ofPhenotypic variation in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) at broad spatial scales makes morphology an insufficient basis for taxonomic reclassification of the species
It was recently proposed that there are three new species of Salvelinus with microendemic distributions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA. The three species of Salvelinus were hypothesized to be distinct from their congener Brook Trout S. fontinalis based on three meristic traits—pored lateral-line scales, vertebral counts, and number of basihyal teeth. After analyses thatOptimization of a suite of flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) microsatellite markers for understanding the population genetics of introduced populations in the northeast United States
Flathead catfish are rapidly expanding into nonnative waterways throughout the United States. Once established, flathead catfish may cause disruptions to the local ecosystem through consumption and competition with native fishes, including species of conservation concern. Flathead catfish often become a popular sport fish in their introduced range, and so management strategies must frequently balaEstablishment of a microsatellite genetic baseline for North American Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser o. oxyrhinchus) and range-wide analysis of population genetics
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is a long-lived, anadromous species that is broadly distributed along the Atlantic coast of North America. Historic overharvest and habitat degradation resulted in significant declines to Atlantic sturgeon populations and, following decades of limited recovery, the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act of the United States in 2012.Behavior at short temporal scales drives dispersal dynamics and survival in a metapopulation of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
1) Movement has been studied extensively in stream salmonids, and most data suggest that population-level behavior is best described by a leptokurtic distribution. This distribution emphasizes the large proportion of sedentary individuals in a population, which can implicitly lead to assumptions of low population connectivity and overlook the ecological significance of rare individuals with more mImproved understanding and prediction of freshwater fish communities through the use of joint species distribution models
Two primary goals in fisheries research are to (i) understand how habitat and environmental conditions influence the distribution of fishes across the landscape and (ii) make predictions about how fish communities will respond to environmental and anthropogenic change. In inland, freshwater ecosystems, quantitative approaches traditionally used to accomplish these goals largely ignore the effectsA novel quantitative framework for riverscape genetics
Riverscape genetics, which applies concepts in landscape genetics to riverine ecosystems, lack appropriate quantitative methods that address the spatial autocorrelation structure of linear stream networks and account for bidirectional geneflow. To address these challenges, we present a general framework for the design and analysis of riverscape genetic studies. Our framework starts with the estimaNon-USGS Publications**
White, S.L. 2017. In brook trout, sometimes the risk is worth the reward. Fisheries 42: 629. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03632415.2017.1396050Carlson, A.K., K.M. Dunmall, R.E. Boucek, N.W. Cole, J.A. Kerns, R.M. Krogman, M.C. Lloyd, V.M. Nguyen, T.R. Wendt, S.L. White, K.L. Wilson. 2015. How to navigate fisheries education and employment. Fisheries 40: 196-197. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03632415.2015.1025952White, S.L., and D.J. Orth. 2014. Reproductive biology of Clinch dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori). Southeastern Naturalist 13: 735-743. https://doi.org/10.1656/058.013.0404White, S.L., and D.J. Orth. 2014. Distribution and habitat correlations of Clinch dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori). American Midland Naturalist 171: 311-320. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43822735White, S.L., and C. Gowan. 2014. Social learning enhances search image acquisition in foraging brook trout. Environmental Biology of Fishes 97: 523-528. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-013-0171-1White, S.L., and D.J. Orth. 2013. Ontogenetic and comparative morphology of Clinch dace (Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori). Copeia 2013: 750-756. https://doi.org/10.1643/CG-13-038White, S.L., and C. Gowan. 2013. Brook trout use individual recognition and transitive inference to determine social rank. Behavioral Ecology 24: 63-69. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ars136White, S.L., C. Gowan, K.D. Fausch, J.G. Harris, and W.C. Saunders. 2011. Response of trout populations in five Colorado streams two decades after habitat manipulation. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 68: 2057-2063. https://doi.org/10.1139/f2011-125**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
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.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.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. - Multimedia
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