Full Day

Getting Hired or Into Graduate School, What Students Need to Know
Amanda Rosenberger, Kevin Dockendorf

In this workshop, we will cover multiple topics relevant to students that are seeking to make employment connections, structure their job-seeking materials, and the right fit for a career in fisheries and aquatic sciences.  Included in this workshop are hints and skill building for introductions and networking; review of CV, resumes and cover letters; different kinds of job in the field, preparing for the interview; and what skills employers are looking for in fisheries graduates.  We will use the whole day for the workshop to provide ample time for discussion, personal review of resumes, and role-playing interviews.  

R Workshop; Introduction to Fisheries Data Analysis
Adam L. Bajo-Walker,  Emma Jones,  Jason Hill

This is a full day course offered for fisheries students, both undergraduate and graduate, and early-career professionals. It will be an introductory-to-intermediate course aimed to familiarize participants with data wrangling (dplyr and tidyverse), plotting (ggplot2 and esquisse), and different types of data analysis. Participants in this course should be familiar with some R basics which includes importing data, loading libraries, and basic mathematical operations/function use. Participants should come to the course with R and RStudio installed on their laptop. Students are encouraged, but not required, to bring their own datasets so they can explore the workshop using their own data and have their questions answered through exercises. The first half of the course will go over and apply data wrangling techniques to prepare data for statistical analysis and plotting. After Lunch, attendees will begin to understand environmental data relationships by exploring types of analysis which could include ANOVA/ANCOVA, typical stock assessment scenarios (abundance indices), PCA’s, and Occupancy Modeling. Prior to the workshop, markdown files, data, and scripts will be provided to attendees to ensure necessary packages are installed and environment issues are resolved.

 

Fish Photography
Todd Amacker, Jon Michael Mollish, Derek Wheaton

Are you interested in using photography as a conservation tool? With the challenges facing aquatic biodiversity in the American Southeast, it’s important that biologists engage the public and decision makers regarding aquatic species that deserve attention and protection. Understanding how to produce professional and powerful images is an important tool to utilize to increase conservation efforts and
raise awareness. Attendees will first learn techniques for how to photograph live fish and other aquatic animals using a ‘field studio’ technique to obtain professional images. Next, they will learn how to take underwater images, primarily of non-game fish while snorkeling, utilizing tips and tricks to produce successful captures. They will also learn about what gear works best to attain the most impactful images, what camera settings to utilize, and methods for post-processing.

This class is designed for attendees to stage and capture portrait style as well as underwater images of aquatic animals. As such, attendees should plan to bring a digital camera, preferably an interchangeable lens camera such as a DSLR or mirrorless. If possible, attendees should also bring a laptop with image editing software. The post-processing portion of the workshop will show methods for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom and this software is recommended to gain the most out of the class. If you do not have a professional camera or editing software, you are still allowed to take the class and can team up with other participants with gear.

Learn how to put the spotlight on aquatic species and their habitats on the Tennessee River!

 

Fish Kill Investigation Methodology
Travis Tidwell

The Pollution Committee of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society is offering a workshop on investigating fish kills. Fish kills are characterized by the sudden death of large numbers of aquatic animals in a clearly distinct area. Fish kills are often high-profile events that can attract the attention of the media and cause concern among anglers and other members of the public. The public often regards dead fish as evidence of pollution or a threat to human health. For this reason, there is often an expectation that officials will investigate fish kills. A fish kill investigation begins with the reporting or discovery of a fish kill and proceeds through the on-scene investigation and enforcement of the case. This workshop will provide training on the fish and mussel kill methodology described in AFS Special Publication 35: Investigation and Monetary Values of Fish and Freshwater Mollusk Kills.

 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, Aquatic Connectivity Teams in the Southeast
Kat Hoenke, Shawna Fix, Tate Wentz, Daniel West, Tim Burnley

Aquatic habitat fragmentation has long been identified as a fisheries conservation issue in the Southeast United States due to the high prevalence of dams and road-stream crossings. States across the Southeast have formed Aquatic Connectivity Teams (ACTs) to collaborate on inventorying, prioritizing, and removing or replacing barriers in their state. These ACTs work together to identify projects using the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP)’s Aquatic Barrier Inventory and Prioritization Tool (https://connectivity.sarpdata.com), apply for funding for projects and educate the public and their own agencies on the importance of aquatic connectivity. The goal of this workshop is to learn from those partnerships and for the ACTs to learn from each other about ways to increase aquatic connectivity in their state. Topics we will discuss will include project management, building capacity, maintaining momentum, and utilizing funding opportunities.

Half Day – Morning Workshops

Improving Science Communication with the Policymakers, the Public, and Peers
Aaron Bunch and Steve Lochmann

Communicating science is central to presentations at scientific meetings, but equally important when engaging with the public or in the policy arena. Communication of science is a skill that improves with practice, but can also be improved by implementing advice informed by theory. For example, a PowerPoint presentation for a scientific meeting can quickly be improved by adopting best practices. Engaging with the public is a different type of communication that requires different considerations and practices. We will offer suggestions for communication to inform policymakers, engage with the public, and convey research results to peers. This workshop will identify common presenter challenges, including poor planning, unclear messaging, and misuses of PowerPoint. This workshop will outline useful practices for development and delivery of compelling presentations. The goal is for participants to improve the likelihood that audiences will receive, remember, and use their findings.

 

Microsoft Excel for Fisheries Professionals
Jack Van DeVenter

Fisheries data sets are complex and cumulative, and reporting demands are constantly changing.  The good news is that Microsoft Excel is enormously powerful, and Microsoft is adding impressive functionality each year.  How can you leverage Excel’s power to save your valuable time and expand your research findings?  That’s what this workshop is all about.  We’ll review fundamentals of Excel, show how to overcome common challenges in fisheries analytics, and provide exposure for advanced techniques.  The goal of the workshop is to increase your productivity by mastering Excel.  (This workshop assumes you know the basics of Excel:  formulas, cell references, etc.)

Gulf Sturgeon Recovery
Adam Kaeser, Adam Fox, Dewayne Fox, Joe Heublein

The purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussing the recovery status and future of Gulf Sturgeon conservation in light of contemporary research efforts that span the range of the species.  Discussion topics will include synthesis of findings, new discoveries and their implications, and directions for future restoration efforts and other conservation strategies.  All those interested in contributing their knowledge and ideas toward a vision for Gulf Sturgeon restoration and recovery are invited to attend.

 

Atlantic Sturgeon Recovery
Bill Post, Adam Fox, Dewayne Fox, Fred Scharf, Marty Hamel, Ellen Waldrop

The purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussing the recovery status and future of Atlantic sturgeon conservation. Recent findings in several areas of study should provide opportunities to expand collaborative research both within and across DPS units. Population genetic analyses have strengthened the species genetic baseline and enabled greater insights about connectivity through mixed stock analyses. Both the use of electronic tags and the spatial coverage of acoustic receiver arrays continue to mature and generate unexpected patterns of movement across life stages that inform efforts to conserve habitats and mitigate potential risks to survival. And the application of new technologies (e.g., eDNA analysis) can provide additional tools to identify cryptic populations and movements into new habitats.  Discussion will focus on synthesizing recent findings, new discoveries and their implications, and directions for future restoration efforts and other conservation strategies. Opportunities for both collaborative and complementary research throughout the species range will be identified. All those interested in contributing their knowledge and ideas toward a vision for Atlantic sturgeon restoration and recovery are invited to attend.

 

Half Day – Afternoon Workshops

Innovasea Acoustic Telemetry
Courtney MacSween

Please join us for a free half-day workshop on how to effectively use acoustic telemetry technology to understand aquatic animal behavior. Along with describing how acoustic telemetry works, we will guide you through the basics of study design, range testing, deployment, data retrieval and analysis. Learn how our Fathom suite of software tools has revolutionized data management – from collection and curation to analysis and storage. Finally, we will take you on the NexTrak as we describe the world’s most advanced acoustic telemetry system and other new product offerings that will take aquatic animal tracking to new levels.

Atlantic and Gulf Sturgeon Aging
Fred Scharf, Bill Post, Adam Fox, Marty Hamel, Adam Kaeser

Accurate determination of fish age is a cornerstone of informing fisheries conservation and management. A variety of techniques have been developed to gain this information and most involve the interpretation of growth marks on various aging structures. Though the concept may seem simplistic (i.e., counting and measuring growth marks), several biases and assumptions exist that must be accounted for when using age data to inform population demographics. This informal workshop will bring together sturgeon researchers to share their examples, experiences, and to discuss inherent challenges with aging Atlantic and Gulf Sturgeon. We will include an overview of the foundational principles of aging with hard parts, a discussion of specimen preparation and aging of fin spines, rays, and other structures. We will review equipment that is recommended for fish structure preparation and describe various software programs that assist in analyzing age and growth data. We will speak to the importance of validating the accuracy of aging structures and determining the precision of the estimation procedures. Gathering expertise from both Gulf and Atlantic sturgeon research communities will serve to facilitate sharing of knowledge and experiences unique to each species, but with potential for application across species.

 

Futurecasting — An AFS-wide Adaptive Planning Framework for a Successful Future
Marlis R Douglas

WHY: The future is uncertain and cannot be predicted, but future outcomes can be shaped by guiding actions through adaptive planning. The Futurecasting framework helps identifying strategic goals, guides decisions and ensures actions progress towards targets, while also adjusting to unforeseen challenges. AFS is adopting Futurecasting to align unit activities at all levels with the AFS strategic vision and improve communication within AFS. Futurecasting complements traditional SWOT analysis by emphasizing future targets as drivers, promoting long-term pro-active perspectives over short-term reactive efforts, and relies on adaptive planning to optimize decisions and action plans. 

WHAT: This 4-hr workshop will briefly introduce Futurecasting. Participants then will apply Futurecasting in small break-out groups to identify (1) specific goals for the Southern Division units that align with the AFS vision, (2) resources needed, and (3) strategic actions for SDAFS units to succeed. Ideas from each group will be discussed and summarized to share with SDAFS leadership, units and members.

WHO: Members at any career stage, from students to chapter officers. Broad participation ensures diverse perspectives and creative solutions. The workshop is organized by the AFS Strategic Positioning Committee in an effort to introduce the Futurecasting framework to all units, and train unit leaders at all levels in adaptive planning.  

HOW: The workshop is based on active-learning principles, with participants absorbing preparatory materials pre-workshop (~1 h), minimizing lecture time. Emphasis is on experiential learning during small-group activities, followed by whole-group interactive discussions to share and synthesize ideas. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Participants will learn how to (1) adaptively plan to deal with uncertainty, (2) confidently articulate ideas, (3) be receptive to diverse opinions and needs, and (4) effectively communicate visionary goals and strategic actions. The workshop also will serve as a ‘train-the-trainers’ event, helping leaders to conduct similar Futurecasting visioning exercises for their units.