Carolyn Merriam, M.S., Wildlife Ecology

Advisor: Joseph Zydlewski – Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Start Date: Summer 2022
B.S. 2020, Natural Resources Conservation, The University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
carolyn.merriam@maine.edu, 207.581.2821

Brief Biography: Growing up in Massachusetts I was fortunate to be surrounded by the great New England outdoors. My passion for the environment began as a kid where I was able to hike, bike, and canoe around New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. I transferred this passion into my education and career path. Once I discovered the field of fisheries, I’ve never looked back since.

Current Research: As a result of the Penobscot River Restoration Project, new habitat has become more accessible for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to inhabit and spawn. My project will focus on the Penobscot and Machias Rivers. We will use acoustic telemetry to track the movement of Adult Atlantic salmon during the pre and post-spawn period. This study will include fish from the smolt-to-adult supplementation program raised at the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture and post-spawn sea-run fish from Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery. We hope to characterize migratory patterns and survival patterns to help better inform the future management of this species.