Standout scientists: Northeast staff celebrated for migratory fish work
Not one, but two, Northeast Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees were honored by the agency last week for advancing conservation of migratory fish through science.
Dr. William (Bill) Ardren, a senior fish biologist in Essex Junction, Vermont, received the Rachel Carson Award for Exemplary Scientific Accomplishment. Dr. Brett Towler, a hydraulic engineer in the Northeast regional office in Hadley, Massachusetts, received the Sam D. Hamilton Award for Transformational Conservation Science.
A champion for Lake Champlain’s salmon
Atlantic salmon disappeared from the Lake Champlain watershed in the mid-1800s due to overfishing, agricultural runoff, development, and the construction of dams that prevented them from swimming upstream to spawn.
Understanding the complexity of restoring the fish, Bill Ardren set about addressing the numerous issues holistically with the help of others.
“Bill recognized that there were multiple conservation problems that make up the overarching challenge of restoring salmon in Lake Champlain, and he has brought together a broad network of conservation and academic partners to understand and help address them,” said Andrew Milliken, Project Leader for the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.
Ardren designed a series of large-scale experiments using adaptive management — research, observation, and calibration — in the fish hatchery, field, and lab.
He identified chemical odorants that salmon cue in on to find their spawning grounds and figured out the life stage when those cues are critical. By substituting brook water for well water at the right time of year, he exposed young salmon to these natural signals, and returns of fish increased three-to-five fold.
As a result of this and other work, salmon reproduced naturally for the first time in 150 years in two tributaries to Lake Champlain — Vermont’s Winooski River and New York’s Boquet River.
Ardren credits this success to collaboration.
“This award acknowledges the culmination of efforts by partners working to advance the science and help address limiting factors for salmon in Lake Champlain,” he said.
The Rachel Carson Award is named for the famous conservationist and author who worked as an aquatic biologist for the Service. Her research into the widespread use of chemical pesticides led to her book Silent Spring and a ban on DDT in the United States.
Furthering fish-passage science
For many years, much of fish-passage science emerged from work with Pacific salmon on the West Coast, even though research was taking place in other parts of the country. Working in the Northeast, Brett Towler found this frustrating.
“We have many other anadromous fish in our rivers that face unique challenges, like American shad and eel,” he explained.
Towler saw the need for ways to transfer research findings to fish-passage engineers in the field. He dedicated himself to increasing the scope and accessibility of such science through publications, education, and training and recognized the need for collaboration.
Focusing on the next generation of fish-passage engineers, Towler partnered with the University of Massachusetts Amherst to create specialized courses and research opportunities in its Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate program. He wrote a memorandum of understanding between UMass, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Service to combine research priorities, resulting in stronger relationships and improved conservation.
Towler wrote the first Service manual on anadromous fish passage for the East Coast, creating standardized design guidelines now used by states, consultants, and other federal agencies.
“Brett embodies the creative and innovative spirit of our agency, and his scientific capabilities have produced broad-ranging benefits,” said Will Duncan, Species and Habitat Conservation Branch Chief for the Northeast Region. “He has repeatedly shown that we can achieve great conservation outcomes while also serving the needs of private industry and citizens.”
The Sam D. Hamilton Award is named for the former director of the Southeast Region of the Service, who was a champion for collaboration and innovation. He led coastal restoration efforts in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Double the conservation potential
The salmon population on Vermont’s Winooski River has benefited from the work of both awardees. When Towler assessed downstream fish passage at a hydropower dam run by Green Mountain Power, he drew upon Ardren’s research and recommended small changes to a structure that will let young salmon migrate out to Lake Champlain to mature.
Bill and Brett have proven the power of collaborative science, and the Northeast Region is proud to call them our own.
