Awards will be presented at each day’s Plenary Session, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, and at the AFS Business Meeting at 8:00 am – 9:40 am on Wednesday, in Exhibit Hall C.
William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award
The William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award, established in 1995, is given to an individual or organization for a singular accomplishment or long-term contributions that advance aquatic resource conservation at a national or international level. This award honors the contributions of Canadian scientist Bill Ricker, truly one of the founders of modern fisheries science.
The Ricker Award for 2022 goes to Canadian Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, which is housed at Carleton University in Ottawa. The Centre is one of seven official Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) centers globally, and the only one of its kind in Canada. The CEBC was founded in 2014 by long-time AFS member and AFS Fellow Dr. Steven Cooke, and currently includes a dozen faculty and staff.
Stanley A. Moberly Award
The Stanley A. Moberly Award for Outstanding Contributions in Fish Habitat Conservation was established in 2019 to annually recognize efforts of as many as three individuals, groups, or projects with an outstanding, long-term record of success in research, management, policy, communications, education, or other fields that support fish habitat conservation.
The 2022 recipient of the Moberly Award is Thomas Bigford.
Presidents’ Fishery Conservation Award
The Presidents’ Fishery Conservation Award recognizes a singular accomplishment or long-term contributions that advance aquatic resource conservation at a regional or local level. Today we present the award to a highly effective nonprofit organization, Friends of the Chicago River.
“The mission of Friends of the Chicago River is to improve and protect the Chicago River system for people, plants and animals. They are the only organization solely dedicated to the Chicago River system. For over 100 years, the history of the Chicago River was one of pollution, degradation, and neglect. In 1979, urban planner Robert Cassidy published an article in Chicago Magazine titled “Our Friendless River,” decrying the state of the river. Immediately, a grassroots effort ignited as 130 concerned individuals met to take action and improve this invaluable civic and environmental asset by forming Friends of the Chicago River. The Chicago River system now attracts residents, tourists, and wildlife to its banks. An increase of fish species from 7 to more than 70 since the 1970s demonstrates the in-stream impacts that Friends and their programmatic partners have had, and the river and its banks thrive with activity.” – Chip O’Leary, Illinois DNR
Carl R. Sullivan Fishery Conservation Award
The Carl R. Sullivan Fishery Conservation Award, known as the “Sully,” was first awarded to Carl Sullivan, Society Executive Director from 1975-1991, shortly before his death. It is given to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the conservation of fishery resources that may be political, legal, educational, scientific, or managerial in scope.
This year’s recipient is Steve Moyer of Trout Unlimited.
Excellence in Public Outreach Award
The Excellence in Public Outreach Award is presented to a Society member whose skill, creativity, and efforts to communicate with the general public have improved public understanding and engagement in fisheries issues.
Every year this award is presented to an AFS member who goes the “extra mile” in sharing the value of fisheries science/research with the general public through the popular media and other communication channels. And as each nomination year passes, it is inspiring to read about all the fantastic outreach AFS members are doing. This year is no exception as there were six excellent nominations for the award.
This year, AFS is presenting two Awards for Excellence in Public Outreach, the first of which is being presented to the Fisheries Podcast Team. Many AFS members are already familiar with this podcast founded by Nick Kramer in 2018. Nick initially ran the podcast solo, but later brought on a team of people to help deliver high-quality content.
Our second Public Outreach Award recognizes Nick Castillo. Nick Castillo’s outreach efforts as a graduate student are outstanding. His research focuses on pharmaceutical contaminants in south Florida bonefish, a highly popular sportfish species, and a major player for the fishing industry in that region.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding contributions of time and energy for special projects or activities by Society members. AFS is presenting two awards in this category this year.
First, AFS recognizes the leadership of the Climate Ambassadors Program. The leaders of the Climate Ambassadors Program, Julie Clausen, Drue Winters, Carolyn Hall, and Katie O’Reilly, deserve recognition for an incredibly well-received and valuable program to train fisheries biologists to speak with others about the impact of human-caused climate change on aquatic communities. What began as a relatively modest idea for communications training has developed into a unique 2-year program to build a network of skilled fisheries and climate science communicators who can interact with a broad range of audiences using a variety of communication techniques.
Our second Distinguished Service Award is being presented to Rebecca Krogman. Rebecca Krogman joined the American Fisheries Society (AFS) while a student at Iowa State University in 2008. During her professional career, she has served AFS on committees at various levels, and held various leadership positions within AFS.
Unit Awards
The Outstanding Small Chapter Award recognizes a chapter with a membership of fewer than 100 members. This chapter represents an example of outstanding professionalism, active resource protection and enhancement programs, and commitment to the mission of AFS.
Chapter Recipient: Indiana Chapter
The Outstanding Large Chapter Award recognizes a chapter of 100 or more members that has exemplified outstanding professionalism, active resource protection and enhancement programs, and commitment to the mission of the Society.
Chapter Recipient: Oregon Chapter
The Outstanding Subunit Award recognizes outstanding professionalism, active resource protection and enhancement programs, and commitment to the mission of the Society by a Student Subunit.
Subunit Recipient: University of Maine Student Subunit
Publication Awards
Best Paper in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health
Widespread Seropositivity to Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) in Four Species of Inland Sport Fishes in Wisconsin
Authors: Whitney Thiel, Kathy Toohey-Kurth, David Giehtbrock, Bridget Baker, Megan Finley, and Tony Goldberg
Best Paper in the North American Journal of Aquaculture
Effects of Multiple, Low-Dose Copper Sulfate Treatments on the Marsh Rams-Horn Snail
Authors: Charles Mischke, David Wise, Matt Griffin, T. Graham Rosser, Ambika Tiwari, Junaid Rehman, Mohammad Ashfaq, and Ikhlas Khan
The Mercer Patriarche Best Paper in North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Age-Structured Interactions among Reintroduced Sockeye Salmon, Resident Kokanee, Invasive Mysids, and their Zooplankton Prey in Skaha Lake, British Columbia
Authors: Kim Hyatt, Donald McQueen, Athena Ogden, Ryan Benson, and Howie Wright
Best Paper in Marine and Coastal Fisheries
Local Values and Data Empower Culturally Guided Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management of the Wuikinuxv Bear–Salmon–Human System
Authors: Megan Adams, Brendan Connors, Taal Levi, Danielle Shaw, Jennifer Walkus, Scott Rogers, and Chris Darimont
The Robert L. Kendall Best Paper in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
Robust Recolonization of Pacific Lamprey Following Dam Removals
Authors: Jon Hess, Rebecca Paradis, Mary Moser, Laurie Weitkamp, and Thomas Delomas
Emerging Leaders Mentorship Award
The Emerging Leaders Mentorship Award was established to develop future leaders of the Society by providing recipients an opportunity to participate for one year in activities of the AFS Governing Board.
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| Northeastern Division Matthew Mensinger University of Maine | North Central Division Kiah Wright University of Missouri | Southern Division Tyler Plum USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center | Western Division Taylor Saucier Marsh & Associates – Native Fish Lab |
William R. Mote Fisheries Fellowship Award
In early 2021, AFS established a scholarship honoring William Mote’s contribution, to support a one-time award to two graduate students per year, one at the masters level and one at the PhD level. These are students who are working in research that focuses on the conservation and sustainability of fisheries species considered popular for recreation. Eligible fisheries include those found in both marine and freshwater environments.
Today, we would like to recognize the second two recipients of the William R. Mote Fisheries Fellowship Award.
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| MS level recipient: Abigail Hayne University of New England Biddeford, Maine | PhD level recipient: Spencer Weinstein University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
J. Frances Allen Scholarship Award
This award is given annually to a female Society Member and doctoral candidate who is conducting aquatic research, with emphasis placed on research promise, scientific merit, and academic achievement.
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| Recipient: Jacy Van Wert University of California Santa Barbara | Runner Up: Hadley Boehm University of Missouri |
Steven Berkeley Marine Conservation Fellowship
The Berkeley Fellowship honors Steve’s contributions to marine ecology, conservation biology, and fisheries science by awarding $10,000 to an outstanding graduate student pursuing marine conservation research.
Recipient:
Benjamin Farmer
Louisiana State University
Runner Up:
Celeste Kieran
Simon Fraser University
The John E. Skinner Memorial Travel Fund
The Skinner Fund was established to provide monetary travel awards for deserving graduate students or exceptional undergraduate students to attend the Society Annual Meeting. This fund has been supported by the raffle that meeting attendees have been encouraged to support during the conference.
Recipients:
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| Hadley Boehm University of Missouri | Taylor Cubbage University of Alaska Fairbanks | Logan Cutler South Dakota State University | Michael Curtis University of North Texas | Matea Djokic University of California, Irvine |
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| Susan Frawley University of Idaho | Aaron Gray Texas Tech University | Hannah Mulligan South Dakota State University | Katrina Zarrella Smith University of Massachusetts Amherst | Ryan Tharp North Carolina State University |
Honorable Mentions:
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| Cody Dillingham University of Maine | Abigail Hayne The University of New England | Genevieve Ivec Syracuse University | Lara Katz University of Maine | Jessica Randall Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi |
Meritorious Service Award
The Meritorious Service Award is awarded to an individual for unswerving loyalty, dedication, and meritorious service to the Society over a long time; and for exceptional commitment to the Society’s programs, ideals, objectives, and goals. This year’s recipient of the Meritorious Service Award is Thomas Lang.
Tom Lang has been a consistent and active member of the Society for over two decades and has displayed exceptional commitment to the programs, objectives, and long-term goals of the Society since he became an Indiana Chapter member in 1999. He is a dedicated and enthusiastic leader whose contributions (too many to list) have spanned decades and have included section leadership, fundraising, committee assignments, mentoring, and meeting organization.
Emmeline Moore Prize
The Emmeline Moore Prize recognizes the efforts of an individual Society member who has demonstrated exemplary service to the cause of equal opportunity of access to higher education in fisheries and/or professional development in any of the disciplines of fisheries science or management. The award is named for Emmeline Moore, the first female President of the Society, who served from 1927 to 1928.
The 2022 recipient of the Emmeline Moore Prize is Jessica Mistak. Jessica Mistak’s passion for service and commitment, especially involving diversity initiatives, was instilled at a young age. As the daughter of farmers and steel mill workers, and a sister to a brother with special abilities, she learned firsthand the value of hard work and the benefit of making space for everyone to participate equally. Jessica honed her leadership skills early on through 4-H and Farm Bureau Youth Council and later through opportunities provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Leadership Program, and American Fisheries Society. Her over 20 years of service to the American Fisheries Society includes Constitutional Consultant, President of the North Central Division, President of the Michigan Chapter, and various committees.
2022 AFS Fellows
In 2015, AFS established a Fellows Program to recognize members who have made outstanding or meritorious contributions to the diversity of fields that are represented in the American Fisheries Society.
There are 11 new Fellows Inductees for 2022:
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| Jeffrey Buckel |
Patrick Cooney |
Greg Cope |
Dan Isermann |
Henriette “Yetta” Jager |
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| Margaret Murphy |
Craig Paukert |
Leanne Roulson |
Cory Suski |
Alan Temple |
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| Tom Kwak |
Excellence in Fisheries Education
The Excellence in Fisheries Education Award recognizes excellence in organized teaching and advising in the field of fisheries.
The recipient of this year’s award is Derek Ogle, Professor at Northland College, in Ashland, Wisconsin.
Award of Excellence
The Award of Excellence is the Society’s highest award for scientific achievement. It recognizes original and outstanding scientific contributions in the fields of fisheries and aquatic biology.
The 2022 Award of Excellence is presented to Dr. Robert Hughes.