Research

Current research, summarized with haikus

Open-source, real-time monitoring of Atlantic sturgeon

Sturgeon swim through, but
unknown until later. Then,
the moment has passed.

We aim to employ cheap, open-source, real-time systems to monitor Atlantic sturgeon presence to inform dynamic time-of-year restrictions around dreding and infrastructure conscruction.

Find a server-side instance of the pilot application here: https://github.com/mhpob/biotelemetry-dash-gha

Metabolism forecasting in the Chesapeake Bay

The water heats up;
So, too, do fish – cold-blooded.
Forecast, see what will.

Metabolism of a few Chesapeake species will be forecast according to various climate scenarios. Development conducted at the UMCES Chesapeake Global Collaboratory GitHub page.

Baseline monitoring for Offshore Wind

Turbines going up
But how will the fish react?
Observe: pots and hooks

Check out our current research offshore of Ocean City, MD:
https://tailwinds.umces.edu/

Peer-reviewed manuscripts

Secor, D.H., O’Brien, M.H.P., Bailey, H., 2024. The flyway construct and assessment of offshore wind farm impacts on migratory marine fauna. ICES JMS. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsae138

Coleman, N., Fox, Horne, A., Hostetter, N., Madsen, J., O’Brien M.H.P., Park, I.A., Stence, C., Secor, D.H., 2024. Spawning Run Estimates and Phenology for an Extremely Small Population of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Marshyhope Creek-Nanticoke River System, Chesapeake Bay. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 16, e10292. DOI: 10.1002/mcf2.10292

Rothermel, E.R., O’Brien M.H.P., Best, J.E., Fox, D.A., Gahagan, B.I., Higgs, A.L., Park, I.A., Wippelhauser, G., Secor, D.H., 2024. An Eulerian perspective on habitat models of striped bass occurrence in an offshore wind development area. ICES Journal of Marine Science, fsad212. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsad212

Secor, D.H., Bailey, H., Carroll, A., Lyubchich, V., O’Brien, M.H.P., Wiernicki, C.J., 2021. Diurnal vertical movements in black sea bass (Centropristis striata): Endogenous, facultative, or something else? Ecosphere 12, e03616. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3616

Secor, D.H., O’Brien, M.H.P., Coleman, N., Horne, A., Park, I., Kazyak, D.C., Bruce, D.G., Stence, C., 2021. Atlantic Sturgeon Status and Movement Ecology in an Extremely Small Spawning Habitat: The Nanticoke River-Marshyhope Creek, Chesapeake Bay. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2021.1924617

O’Brien, M.H.P., Secor, D.H., 2021. Influence of thermal stratification and storms on acoustic telemetry detection efficiency: a year-long test in the US Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight. Animal Biotelemetry 9, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-021-00233-3

Itakura, H., O’Brien, M.H.P., Secor, D., 2021. Tracking oxy-thermal habitat compression encountered by Chesapeake Bay striped bass through acoustic telemetry. ICES Journal of Marine Science fsab009. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab009

Secor, D.H., O’Brien, M.H.P., Gahagan, B.I., Fox, D.A., Higgs, A.L., Best, J.E., 2020. Multiple spawning run contingents and population consequences in migratory striped bass Morone saxatilis. PLOS ONE 15(11): e0242797 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242797

Rothermel, E.R., Balazik, M.T., Best, J.E., Fox, D.A., Gahagan, B.I., Haulsee, D.E., Higgs, A.L., O’Brien, M.H.P., Oliver, M.J., Park, I.A., and Secor, D.H. 2020. Comparative migration ecology of striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon in the US Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight flyway. PLOS ONE 15(6): e0234442. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234442

Secor, D.H., O’Brien, M.H.P, Gahagan, B.I., Watterson, J.C., and Fox, D. 2020. Differential migration in Chesapeake Bay striped bass. PLOS ONE 15(5): e0233103. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233103

Wiernicki, C.J., O’Brien, M.H.P., Zhang F, Lyubchich V, Li M, Secor, D.H., 2020. The recurring impact of storm disturbance on black sea bass (Centropristis striata) movement behaviors in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. PLOS ONE 15(12): e0239919. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239919

Secor, D.H., Zhang, F., O’Brien, M.H.P. and Li, M. 2019. Ocean destratification and fish evacuation caused by a Mid-Atlantic tropical storm. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 76(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsx241

Wingfield, J.E., O’Brien, M., Lyubchich, V., Roberts, J.J., Halpin, P.N., Rice, A.N. and Bailey, H., 2017. Year-round spatiotemporal distribution of harbour porpoises within and around the Maryland wind energy area. PLOS ONE, 12(5), p.e0176653 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176653

Open reports

Secor, D, M O’Brien, E Rothermel, C Wiernicki, and H Bailey. “Movement and Habitat Selection by Migratory Fishes within the Maryland Wind Energy Area and Adjacent Reference Sites.” Sterling (VA): U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 2020. URL: https://espis.boem.gov/final%20reports/BOEM_2020-030.pdf

Curated datasets

Rothermel, Ella, Michael O’Brien, and David Secor. “Data from: Comparative Migration Ecology of Striped Bass and Atlantic Sturgeon in the US Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight Flyway.” Dryad, 2020. https://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.6HDR7SQX3.

O’Brien, Michael, David Secor, Benjamin Gahagan, Dewayne Fox, Amanda Higgs, and Jessica Best. “Data from: Multiple Spawning Run Behavior and Population Consequences in Migratory Striped Bass Morone Saxatilis.” Dryad, 2020. https://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.6HDR7SQXT.