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Kevin L. Kapuscinski
Principal Investigator

304 Illick Hall
1 Forestry Dr.
Syracuse, New York 13210

Phone: (315) 877-2923
Email: klkapusc@syr.edu

Research Interests

My research is focused on understanding the population characteristics and ecology of fishes inhabiting nearshore areas of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters.  I am particularly interested in (1) the ecology and management of muskellunge, (2) understanding which habitat factors influence fish assemblage structure, (3) determining which environmental factors influence aquatic vegetation assemblages, and (4) understanding how herbivory by an abundant non-native cyprinid, the rudd, affects aquatic vegetation and fish assemblages.  I aim to conduct research that will help guide management, conservation, and restoration of native fishes and their habitat.

Education

• Ph.D., Ecology, State University of New York-College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF; 2011).  Dissertation: Comparative Ecology of Muskellunge and Nearshore Fish Assemblages in the Great Lakes.
• M.S., Natural Resources (Fisheries), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2002).  Thesis: Movements of Lake Trout in U.S. Waters of Lake Superior During 1973-2001.
• B.S., Water Resources (Fisheries) and Biology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (1999)
• International Environmental Seminar, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Europe, Summer 1998)
• The School for Field Studies, Center for Coastal Studies, Bahía Magdalena, Mexico (Summer 1997)

Professional Experience

• Adjunct Assistant Professor – SUNY-ESF (2012-present)
• Principal Investigator – The Research Foundation of SUNY (2012-present)
• Post-doctoral Associate – The Research Foundation of SUNY (2011)
• Visiting Instructor – SUNY-ESF, Cranberry Lake Biological Station (Summer 2011)
• Student Assistant – SUNY-ESF, Cranberry Lake Biological Station (Summer 2010)
• Research Assistant, Ph.D. Candidate – SUNY-ESF (2006-2011)
• Fisheries Biologist – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2004-2006)
• Pallid Sturgeon Biologist – Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (2002-2004)
• Graduate Assistant – University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2000-2002)
• Project Assistant – University of Wisconsin-Madison (Summer 1999)

Courses Taught

• Fisheries Science & Management (EFB 487/687, Fall 2012), SUNY-ESF
• Fisheries Science Practicum (EFB 488, Fall 2012), SUNY-ESF
• Ecological Monitoring and Biodiversity Assessment (EFB 202, Summer 2011, Aquatics and Statistics sections, supervised student projects, served on review panel for student presentations), SUNY-ESF, Cranberry Lake Biological Station
• Ecological Monitoring and Biodiversity Assessment (EFB 202, Summer 2010, Aquatics and Statistics sections), SUNY-ESF, Cranberry Lake Biological Station
• The Information-theoretic Approach to Model Selection: A New Paradigm in Ecological Research (EFB 797, Fall 2008), SUNY-ESF

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Kapuscinski, K. L., Sloss, B. L., and J. M. Farrell.  Under review.  Genetic population structure of muskellunge in the Great Lakes.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
• Kapuscinski, K. L., and J. M. Farrell.  2013.  Habitat factors influencing fish assemblages at muskellunge nursery sites.  Journal of Great Lakes Research online.  DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2012.11.007
• Kapuscinski, K. L, Farrell, J. M., and M. A. Wilkinson.  2013.  Trends in muskellunge population and fishery characteristics in Buffalo Harbor (Lake Erie) and the Niagara River.  Journal of Great Lakes Research online.  DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2012.11.006
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Farrell, J. M., and B. A. Murry.  2012.  Feeding strategies and diets of young-of-the-year muskellunge in two large river ecosystems.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 32:635-647.  DOI:10.1080/02755947.2012.675964
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Farrell, J. M., and M. A. Wilkinson.  2012.  Feeding patterns and population structure of an invasive cyprinid, the rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae), in Buffalo Harbor (Lake Erie) and the upper Niagara River.  Hydrobiologia 693:169-181.  DOI: 10.1007/s10750-012-1106-0
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Farrell, J. M., and M. A. Wilkinson.  2012.  First report of abundant rudd populations in North America.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 32:82-86.  DOI:10.1080/02755947.2012.661391
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Zorn, T. G., Schneeberger, P. J., O’Neal, R. P., and B. T. Eggold.  2010.  The status of Lake Michigan walleye stocks.  In Status of walleye in the Great Lakes: proceedings of the 2006 Symposium. Great Lakes Fishery Commission Technical Report 69.  pp. 15-70
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Belonger, B. J., Fajfer, S., and T. J. Lychwick.  2007.  Population dynamics of muskellunge in Wisconsin waters of Green Bay, Lake Michigan, 1989-2005.  Environmental Biology of Fishes 79:27-36.  DOI: 10.1007/s10641-006-9132-2
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Hansen, M. J., and S. T. Schram.  2005.  Movements of lake trout in U.S. waters of Lake Superior, 1973-2001.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:696-708.  DOI:10.1577/M03-205.1

Selected Technical Reports

• Kapuscinski, K. L., Crane, D. P., Farrell, J. M., and M. A. Wilkinson.  2012.  Surveys of muskellunge spawning habitat, young-of-the-year, and associated fish assemblages at nearshore sties of the Buffalo Harbor and upper Niagara River.  Section O in D. Einhouse, editor.  NYSDEC Lake Erie 2012 annual report.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany
• Farrell, J. M., Barry, C. C., and K. L. Kapuscinski.  2011.  Muskellunge management and monitoring in the Thousand Islands section of the St. Lawrence River in 2010 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lake Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Wilkinson, M. A., and J. M. Farrell.  2010.  Sampling for muskellunge, rudd, and the nearshore fish community of the Buffalo Harbor (Lake Erie) and the upper Niagara River, 2009.  Section Q in D. Einhouse, editor.  NYSDEC Lake Erie 2009 annual report.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Wilkinson, M. A., and J. M. Farrell.  2010.  Sampling for muskellunge and the nearshore fish community of the lower Niagara River, 2009.  Section 19 in 2009 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lake Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany
• Kapuscinski, K. L., Wilkinson, M. A., and J. M. Farrell.  2009.  Sampling efforts for young-of-year (2006-2008) and adult muskellunge (2008) in the Buffalo Harbor, Lake Erie, and the upper Niagara River.  Section R in D. Einhouse, editor.  NYSDEC Lake Erie 2008 annual report.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany
• Kapuscinski, K. L., and M. A. Wilkinson.  2008.  Adult muskellunge sampling activities in the Buffalo Harbor and upper Niagara River May and June, 2007.  Section U in D. Einhouse, editor.  NYSDEC Lake Erie Unit 2007 annual report.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany
• Kapuscinski, K. L., and R. Lange.  2005.  Status of walleye stocks in lower Green Bay and the lower Fox River.  Pages 29-36 in B. Horns, editor.  Lake Michigan Management Reports.  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison
• Kapuscinski, K. L.  2004.  Evaluation of hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon recaptured in recovery-priority management area #2 during 2003.  Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Helena
• Kapuscinski, K. L., and M. W. Baxter.  2004.  Lower Missouri and Yellowstone rivers pallid sturgeon study, 2003 report.  Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Helena

Service

• Associate Editor, North American Journal of Fisheries Management (2012-present)
• Major advisor for MS candidate, Matthew Gunderson, SUNY-ESF (2012-present)
• Graduate committee member for MS candidate, Christina Killourhy, SUNY-ESF (2012-present)
• Co-chair of the Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Management in the Great Lakes session, International Association of Great Lakes Research 55th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research (2012)
• Judge of student poster presentations at the International Association of Great Lakes Research 55th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research (2012)
• Panelist for a discussion on career paths in aquatic sciences and fisheries, New York American Fisheries Society, 2nd Annual Student Colloquium (2012)
• Judge of conservation/restoration plan presentations, EFB 414, Senior Synthesis in Conservation Biology, SUNY-ESF (2012)
• Reviewer of papers submitted to the IS.Rivers Integrative Sciences and Sustainable Development of Rivers 1st International Conference (2011)
• Member of the Niagara Habitat Conservation Strategy Technical Advisory Committee (2011-present)
• Panelist for a discussion on publishing while in graduate school at SUNY-ESF (2010)
• American Fisheries Society Hutton Scholar Mentor (two students, 2007)
• Northeast Region representative to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Fisheries Team (2004-2006), Muskellunge Team (2005-2006), Non-wadable Streams Team (2004-2006), and Monitoring Toxics Team (2004-2006)
• Chair of the Upper Basin Pallid Sturgeon Workgroup Stocking Plan Committee (2003-2004)
• Manuscript reviewer for The American Midland Naturalist, Environmental Biology of Fishes, Fisheries Management and Ecology, Journal of Great Lakes Research, North American Journal of Aquaculture, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, and Wetlands
   

Certification and Memberships

• Certified Fisheries Professional, American Fisheries Society (2012-present)
• Save the River, Upper St. Lawrence RIVERKEEPER (2011-present)
• International Association of Great Lakes Research (2010-present)
• New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (2009-present)
• The Nature Conservancy (2003-persent)
• American Fisheries Society (1999-present)
• University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (1996-2001)