Education and Early Career

I grew up in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years finding solace being in nature, especially on the water, either windsurfing or fishing.  My academic history began with an undergraduate degree in biology and environmental sciences at Trent University, Ontario, Canada, including a honors thesis on marine fishes in Jamaica.  This research experience laid the foundation for graduate degrees focused on fundamental elements of fish biology and ecology, including a Master’s degree in Watershed Ecosystems Management from Trent University and PhD in Environmental Biology and Ecology from University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.  During my PhD, I received several awards for teaching and research, including the Peter Larkin Award from the Canadian Aquatic Resources Section of the American Fisheries Society.  

In 2000, I moved to South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands, where I worked for The School For Field Studies, and began focusing my research on recreational fisheries.  This is where I fell in love with bonefish and the tropical flats they inhabit, and also realized that very little science existed about this group of fishes and how they responded to angling.  In 2002, I migrated to Eleuthera, The Bahamas, and was instrumental in the development of the Cape Eleuthera Institute.  In addition to using this facility to build a stronger platform for experiential education, my collaborators and I filled a number of critical knowledge gaps related to the ecology of bonefish, and how they respond to catch-and-release.  While there, we were the first to identify where bonefish spawn – a critical part of their life history.

Current Work

In 2009, I joined the Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst, as a tenure-track faculty focusing on fish conservation.  I received tenure in 2015, and became a Full Professor in 2019. 

Much of my current research focuses on evaluating the potential impacts of recreational angling on fish populations and working with stakeholder groups to develop best practices for catch-and-release.  Fish species I have studied include bonefish in The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the South Pacific, Atlantic tarpon and permit in the Florida Keys, giant trevally in the Seychelles and Republic of Kiribati, golden dorado in South America, steelhead in British Columbia, bass and trout species in Ontario and Quebec, striped bass and sea-run brook trout in New England.  My graduate students, collaborators, and I are also working on several species of sharks (great hammerhead, tiger, white sharks), examining their essential habitats and how they interact with humans.  Some of this work involves the use of telemetry and associated emerging technologies to understand the ways fish (including sharks) function under “normal” and disturbed conditions, and combines the results of these studies with laboratory and field manipulations to identify specific mechanistic causes of stress. You can learn more about my work through publications and ResearchGate.

As a strong advocate for experiential education and developing novel ways to share crucial information about conservation, I enjoy using video media and documentaries as a mechanism for informing and empowering people to make better decisions when it comes to fish and their essential habitats.  For my teaching, I received a Distinguished Teaching Award at UMass Amherst (2014), and received the Award of Excellence in Fisheries Education from the American Fisheries Society (2021). For conservation engagement and advocacy, I received the award for Excellence in Public Outreach from the American Fisheries Society (2017), and the Flats Stewardship Award by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (2020).

Member & Ambassador

To help broader efforts related to fish conservation, I am the Science Advisor for Keep Fish Wet, a Member of the Science and Policy Committee for the Fisheries Fund of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, Member of the International Game Fish Association Scientific Advisory Panel, a Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Research Fellow, Board Member for Indifly Foundation, and Fellow National for The Explorers Club.  I also serve as an Ambassador for Patagonia, Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods, and Sight Lines Provisions.