Kaitlyn R. Kowaleski

Education

B.A. Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic. 2019.

Graduate Research

My research focuses on the fisheries ecology, reproductive biology, and management of marine molluscs. Currently, I am investigating the impacts of density on reproductive effort and oocyte development in Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) and using stable isotopes to investigate the utilization of food sources across the sea scallop resource. Future work toward my dissertation will include developing a decision tree for managing high-density recruitment events in the sea scallop fishery. For a complete list of professional experience, fellowships, and publications, please download my full CV. For more information on my outreach activities and current and previous research projects, please visit my personal website.

Path to Shellfisheries Science

I first fell in love with the ocean while exploring San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay with my father, who worked to maintain the aquarium systems and exhibits. For my undergraduate education, I transitioned across the country to College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, where I became increasingly engaged with the local fishing communities, their rich histories, and their stories of change along the coast. A summer internship at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center introduced me to the Chesapeake Bay and solidified my passion for molluscs, and I was excited by the chance to come back to the region to begin my graduate work in the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. My work is driven by a commitment to applied, collaborative research to increase scientific understanding and sustainable management of marine molluscs.

Publications

Mann, R., D.B. Rudders, S.A. Roman, M. Southworth, and K.R. Clark. 2022. Age based assessment in the sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus: A pilot study. VIMS Marine Resource Report No. 2022-2.

Roman, S.A., D.B. Rudders, R. Mann, and K.R. Clark. 2021. The effect of density on growth, yield, and reproduction of the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus. VIMS Marine Resource Report No. 2021-2.

Rudders, D.B., S.A. Roman, E. Mohr, and K. Clark. 2019. Results for the 2019 VIMS Industry Cooperative Surveys of the Mid-Atlantic, Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, Closed Area I, and Closed Area II Resource Areas. VIMS Marine Resource Report No. 2019-7.