Ph.D. Assistantships – Fish community & angler interest evaluation in tailwater trout fishery:
Description: Evaluate the economic, social, and biological implications of a stocked trout fishery in the lower Illinois River (a cool-water tailwater system currently below Tenkiller Lake, Oklahoma).
Changes to water use patterns have made low dissolved oxygen and higher temperatures progressively more common problems in recent years, causing the state to consider the viability of the long-term trout stocking program (about 60 years).
To help with that effort, this project will be multi-faceted, including a creel survey to obtain harvest information and angler opinions, an economic evaluation of the fishery, climate modeling to predict future water quality, current fishery assessment (all sportfish, not just trout), and use fish abundance sampling and diet samples to construct a fish community modeling to predict likely changes should trout stockings be altered.
Qualifications: B.S. and M.S. degree in fisheries, biology, or related field; competitive GPA & GRE scores, strong experience sampling fishes.
To apply: Contact Person Dan Shoup, eMail dshoup@okstate.edu Salary: $30,000/yr plus health insurance and full tuition waver Start Date: 01/10/2024 Last Date to Apply: 08/18/2023