Shannon White, Ph.D.
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
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.
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.
Filter Total Items: 22
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Authors
David C. Kazyak, Aaron Aunins, Shannon L. White, Michael S. Eackles, C. Barry Knisley
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
Authors
Shannon L. White, Thomas C Johnson, Jacob M Rash, Barbara A. Lubinski, David C. Kazyak
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
Authors
Shannon L. White, Robin L. Johnson, Barbara A. Lubinski, Michael S. Eackles, David H. Secor, David C. Kazyak
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
Authors
Shannon L. White, David C. Kazyak, Richard C Harrington, Matt A. Kulp, Jacob M Rash, T. Casey Weathers, Thomas J Near
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.
Science and Products
- Data
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.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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- Publications
Filter Total Items: 22
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. AAuthorsShannon L. White, Richard M. Pendleton, Amanda Higgs, Barbara A. Lubinski, Robin L. Johnson, David C. KazyakGenetic 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 intAuthorsShannon L. White, Robin L. Johnson, Barbara A. Lubinski, Michael S. Eackles, David C. KazyakIs 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 gAuthorsShannon L. White, Jacob M Rash, David C. KazyakUtilization 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 conserAuthorsJacob Rash, David C. Kazyak, Shannon L. White, Barbara A. LubinskiDecades 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 distribuAuthorsShannon L. White, Dewayne A. Fox, Tamar Beridze, Stephania K Bolden, Robin L. Johnson, Thomas F Savoy, Fleur Scheele, Andrea D Schreier, David C. KazyakConservation 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 isAuthorsDavid C. Kazyak, Shannon L. White, N. Mamoozadeh, John Hargrove, Mariah MeekBenefits 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 apAuthorsShannon L. White, Thomas C Johnson, Jacob M Rash, Barbara A. Lubinski, David C. KazyakEvaluating 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 diAuthorsShannon 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. KazyakPopulation 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 populationAuthorsDavid C. Kazyak, Aaron Aunins, Shannon L. White, Michael S. Eackles, C. Barry KnisleyUsing 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 theAuthorsShannon L. White, Thomas C Johnson, Jacob M Rash, Barbara A. Lubinski, David C. KazyakStock 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 ofAuthorsShannon L. White, Robin L. Johnson, Barbara A. Lubinski, Michael S. Eackles, David H. Secor, David C. KazyakPhenotypic 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 thatAuthorsShannon L. White, David C. Kazyak, Richard C Harrington, Matt A. Kulp, Jacob M Rash, T. Casey Weathers, Thomas J NearNon-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.