Fedarick, Jillian

Jillian standing on the beachCo-Advisor: Christina Murphy – Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Co-Advisor: Sydne Record  – Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology
Start Date:  Summer 2023
M.S. 2022, Marine Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
B.S.  2022, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
jillian.fedarick@maine.edu, 207.581.2954

Brief Biography: I’m from New Jersey and grew up in the Delaware Water Gap area. I’m a freshwater mussel nerd, having developed a passion for these flashy invertebrates through an internship with the Minnesota DNR. In my free time, I love to SCUBA dive, attend concerts, snowboard, and run.

Current Research: I am currently researching the Yellow Lampmussel, a species of greatest conservation need in the Northeast region. Yellow Lampmussel’s range-wide status has not been accurately assessed and there are discrepancies in the literature regarding suitable habitat for the species. I will be modeling their distribution using a Joint Species Distribution approach and collecting habitat data via side-scan sonar surveys. This research will inform region-wide conservation and restoration efforts for the Yellow Lampmussel species.