Matt LaGanke
Ph.D. Student
Email:
mjlaganke@vims.edu
Phone:
(804) 684-7807
Office:
Andrews Hall 434C
Lab:
Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Lab & Team
Advisor:
Bill Walton
CV:
Curriculum vitae
Research Interests:
Commercial shellfish aquaculture production, farm and inventory management, technology implementation and adoption, sustainable food production systems
Education
- B.S., University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2015
About Matt
Matt is a Ph.D. candidate conducting applied research in shellfish aquaculture, with a focus on improving industry production. Specifically, he investigates tools and techniques to enhance farm efficiency and reduce farmer risk. His research includes:
- Assessing the needs of shellfish farm managers across the U.S.,
- Exploring the feasibility of digital tools for capturing farm data to improve inventory and farm management,
- Evaluating the predictive capabilities of oyster growth models, and
- Investigating strategies to optimize daily husbandry decisions.
Matt's interest in shellfish aquaculture is rooted in his appreciation for sustainably sourced seafood and the rewarding challenges of making a living on the water. In his free time, he enjoys camp-fishing expeditions, scuba diving and discovering new seafood restaurants that feature farmed shellfish.
Research Experience and Employment
- August 2020 – Dec 2020: Commercial Diver, Fathom Resources, Middletown, RI
- Aug 2018 – Sep 2019: Shellfish Biologist – Bay Scallop, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Eastpoint, FL
- Sep 2016 – August 2018: Shellfish Biologist – Oyster, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Eastpoint, FL
- Sep 2014 – May 2015: Undergraduate Research Assistant, Benthic Ecology Lab, Center for Marine Science, UNCW