Ramboll expert awarded for paper on biological modeling and the effects of climate change on migratory fishes

The American Fisheries Society named a paper by Ramboll ecology expert and doctoral candidate Christopher (Chris) Nack as the best paper published in 2019 in the peer-reviewed journal Marine and Coastal Fisheries. The manuscript was called Historical and Projected Changes in Spawning Phenologies of American Shad and Striped Bass in the Hudson River Estuary. The award will be presented at the annual American Fisheries Society meeting to be held virtually in September.

Climate change is impacting the health and biological integrity of marine and estuarine waters throughout the US and globally. Over the next century, continued warming temperatures caused by climate change are expected to impact fish spawning phenology. While the amount of change remains unknown, biological models are valuable tools for informing effective management of marine and coastal resources, including anadromous fishes. 

In the paper, Chris and co-authors Dr. Karin E. Limburg of Cornell University and Dr. Dennis P. Swaney of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) provide guidance and a roadmap for biological modeling in the Hudson River estuary, with an emphasis on model development and use of model products to project water temperature and changes in spawning phenology of anadromous fishes and specifically, the American shad (Alosa sapidissima) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). The paper also assesses the combined effects of climate change and novel species.

Download the paper here.

Chris is an expert in fisheries and fisheries management and is published in peer-reviewed publications in the fields of aquatic ecology and fisheries science. As an ecologist at Ramboll, his work currently centers on supporting projects involving fisheries, aquatic ecology, estuarine science and coastal resiliency. He also is continuing work on the effects of climate change on spawning phenology and migration timing working with colleagues from France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment. In addition, Chris is assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), SUNY ESF and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) with an eDNA study tracking movement of the invasive Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) along the Mohawk River from the Great Lakes to the Hudson River systems.

Marine and Coastal Fisheries publishes original and innovative research that synthesizes information on biological organization across spatial and temporal scales to promote ecologically sound fisheries science and management. This online open access journal provides an international venue for studies of marine, coastal and estuarine fisheries and promotes the development of ecosystem-based fisheries science and management.

Ramboll is a leading engineering, design and consultancy company with 16,500 people globally including leading experts in the fields of ecology, coastal and marine science and natural resources.