Matthew O'Donnell
Matt is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the S. O. Conte Research Laboratory in Turners Falls, MA.
Matt's research focuses on factors that influence population persistence of stream salmonids. In particular, Matt is examining the importance of coldwater refugia, thermal acclimation, and adaptation as a possible mechanisms for brook trout to persist in warming streams. In the field, he leads a project where wild brook trout are implanted with temperature recording tags to determine what water temperature fish actually experience. In the lab, he leads experiments where brook trout are being reared under ambient and increased thermal regimes for successive generations to examine the potential scope for thermal acclimation within generations and adaptation across generations.
Professional Experience
2018-present: Research Ecologist, USGS, Leetown Science Center, Conte Anadromous Fish Research Lab, Turners Falls, Massachusetts
2002-2018: Ecologist, USGS, Leetown Science Center, Conte Anadromous Fish Research Lab, Turners Falls, Massachusetts
2000-2002: Marine Resource Scientist I, Maine Department of Marine Resources, Hallowell, Maine
1999-2000: Biologist I, Mass Wildlife, Westborough, Massachusetts
Education and Certifications
M.S. Fisheries Conservation, UMASS-Amherst, 2000.
B.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management, Fisheries option, UMASS-Amherst, 1995.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
Movement patterns of Brook Trout in a restored coastal stream system in southern Massachusetts
Coastal Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations are found from northern Canada to New England. The extent of anadromy generally decreases with latitude, but the ecology and movements of more southern populations are poorly understood. We conducted a 33-month acoustic telemetry study of Brook Trout in Red Brook, MA, and adjacent Buttermilk Bay (marine system) using 16 fixed acoustic receive
Authors
Erin L. Snook, Benjamin H. Letcher, Todd L. Dubreuil, Joseph D. Zydlewski, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Andrew R. Whiteley, Stephen T. Hurley, Andy J. Danylchuk
A hierarchical model of daily stream temperature using air-water temperature synchronization, autocorrelation, and time lags
Water temperature is a primary driver of stream ecosystems and commonly forms the basis of stream classifications. Robust models of stream temperature are critical as the climate changes, but estimating daily stream temperature poses several important challenges. We developed a statistical model that accounts for many challenges that can make stream temperature estimation difficult. Our model iden
Authors
Benjamin H. Letcher, Daniel Hocking, Kyle O'Neil, Andrew R. Whiteley, Keith H. Nislow, Matthew O'Donnell
Robust estimates of environmental effects on population vital rates: an integrated capture–recapture model of seasonal brook trout growth, survival and movement in a stream network
Modelling the effects of environmental change on populations is a key challenge for ecologists, particularly as the pace of change increases. Currently, modelling efforts are limited by difficulties in establishing robust relationships between environmental drivers and population responses.We developed an integrated capture–recapture state-space model to estimate the effects of two key environment
Authors
Benjamin H. Letcher, Paul Schueller, Ronald D. Bassar, Keith H. Nislow, Jason A. Coombs, Krzysztof Sakrejda, Michael Morrissey, Douglas B. Sigourney, Andrew R. Whiteley, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Todd L. Dubreuil
Estimating movement and survival rates of a small saltwater fish using autonomous antenna receiver arrays and passive integrated transponder tags
We evaluated the performance of small (12.5 mm long) passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and custom detection antennas for obtaining fine-scale movement and demographic data of mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus in a salt marsh creek. Apparent survival and detection probability were estimated using a Cormack Jolly Seber (CJS) model fitted to detection data collected by an array of 3 vertical an
Authors
Paul J. Rudershausen, Jeffery A. Buckel, Todd Dubreuil, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Joseph E. Hightower, Steven J. Poland, Benjamin H. Letcher
High throughput computing: a solution for scientific analysis
Public land management agencies continually face resource management problems that are exacerbated by climate warming, land-use change, and other human activities. As the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) works with managers in U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies and other federal, state, and private entities, researchers are finding that the science neede
Authors
M. O'Donnell
Use of portable antennas to estimate abundance of PIT-tagged fish in small streams: Factors affecting detection probability
Portable passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antenna systems can be valuable in providing reliable estimates of the abundance of tagged Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in small streams under a wide range of conditions. We developed and employed PIT tag antenna wand techniques in two controlled experiments and an additional case study to examine the factors that influenced our ability to estimate
Authors
Matthew J. O'Donnell, Gregg E. Horton, Benjamin H. Letcher
Size and age distributions of Juvenile Connecticut River American shad above Hadley Falls: Influence on outmigration representation and timing
Age- and size-based habitat use and movement patterns of young-of-year American shad in rivers are not well understood. Adult females reach their natal rivers at different times and ascend the river at different rates, which may lead to variation of hatch dates at a single location. Also, shad are serial spawners, so eggs of the same female may be released at different distances from the river mou
Authors
M. J. O'Donnell, B. H. Letcher
Population response to habitat fragmentation in a stream-dwelling brook trout population
Fragmentation can strongly influence population persistence and expression of life-history strategies in spatially-structured populations. In this study, we directly estimated size-specific dispersal, growth, and survival of stream-dwelling brook trout in a stream network with connected and naturally-isolated tributaries. We used multiple-generation, individual-based data to develop and parameteri
Authors
B. H. Letcher, K.H. Nislow, J.A. Coombs, M. J. O'Donnell, T.L. Dubreuil
A field test of the extent of bias in selection estimates after accounting for emigration
Question: To what extent does trait-dependent emigration bias selection estimates in a natural system? Organisms: Two freshwater cohorts of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles. Field site: A 1 km stretch of a small stream (West Brook) in western Massachusetts. USA from which emigration could be detected continuously. Methods: Estimated viability selection differentials for body size either inc
Authors
B. H. Letcher, G.E. Horton, T.L. Dubreuil, M. J. O'Donnell
Long-term consequences of variation in timing and manner of fry introduction on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) growth, survival, and life-history expression
We tested the influence of introduction time and the manner of introduction on growth, survival, and life-history expression of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Introduction treatments included three fry stocking times and stream rearing of embryos. Despite poor growth conditions during the early stocking period, early-stocked fish were larger throughout the entire study period, likely the result of
Authors
B. H. Letcher, T. Dubreuil, M. J. O'Donnell, M. Obedzinski, K. Griswold, K.H. Nislow
Non-USGS Publications**
O’Donnell, M, N. Gray, G.Wippelhauser, and P. Christman. 2000. Restoring Our Native Fish Resources, Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration, Annual Progress Report-2000. Maine Department of Marine Resources, Augusta, ME. 96pp.
Gamble, M.E., M.J. O’Donnell, P. Perra, D. St. Pierre, and S. Winslow. 2001. 2001 Review of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Shad and River Herring (Alosa sp.). Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Arlington, VA.
O’Donnell, M, N. Gray, G.Wippelhauser, and P. Christman. 2001. Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration, Annual Progress Report-2001. Maine Department of Marine Resources, Augusta, ME. 110pp.
O’Donnell, M, N. Gray, G.Wippelhauser, and P. Christman. 2002. Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration, Annual Progress Report-2002. Maine Department of Marine Resources, Augusta, ME. 93pp.
Kircheis, F.W., J.G Trial, D.P Boucher, B. Mower, T. Squiers, N. Gray, M. O’Donnell, and J.S. Stahlnecker. 2004. Analysis of impacts related to the introduction of anadromous alewife into a small freshwater lake in central Maine, USA. Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Augusta, ME. 53 pp.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 22
Movement patterns of Brook Trout in a restored coastal stream system in southern Massachusetts
Coastal Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations are found from northern Canada to New England. The extent of anadromy generally decreases with latitude, but the ecology and movements of more southern populations are poorly understood. We conducted a 33-month acoustic telemetry study of Brook Trout in Red Brook, MA, and adjacent Buttermilk Bay (marine system) using 16 fixed acoustic receive
Authors
Erin L. Snook, Benjamin H. Letcher, Todd L. Dubreuil, Joseph D. Zydlewski, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Andrew R. Whiteley, Stephen T. Hurley, Andy J. Danylchuk
A hierarchical model of daily stream temperature using air-water temperature synchronization, autocorrelation, and time lags
Water temperature is a primary driver of stream ecosystems and commonly forms the basis of stream classifications. Robust models of stream temperature are critical as the climate changes, but estimating daily stream temperature poses several important challenges. We developed a statistical model that accounts for many challenges that can make stream temperature estimation difficult. Our model iden
Authors
Benjamin H. Letcher, Daniel Hocking, Kyle O'Neil, Andrew R. Whiteley, Keith H. Nislow, Matthew O'Donnell
Robust estimates of environmental effects on population vital rates: an integrated capture–recapture model of seasonal brook trout growth, survival and movement in a stream network
Modelling the effects of environmental change on populations is a key challenge for ecologists, particularly as the pace of change increases. Currently, modelling efforts are limited by difficulties in establishing robust relationships between environmental drivers and population responses.We developed an integrated capture–recapture state-space model to estimate the effects of two key environment
Authors
Benjamin H. Letcher, Paul Schueller, Ronald D. Bassar, Keith H. Nislow, Jason A. Coombs, Krzysztof Sakrejda, Michael Morrissey, Douglas B. Sigourney, Andrew R. Whiteley, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Todd L. Dubreuil
Estimating movement and survival rates of a small saltwater fish using autonomous antenna receiver arrays and passive integrated transponder tags
We evaluated the performance of small (12.5 mm long) passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and custom detection antennas for obtaining fine-scale movement and demographic data of mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus in a salt marsh creek. Apparent survival and detection probability were estimated using a Cormack Jolly Seber (CJS) model fitted to detection data collected by an array of 3 vertical an
Authors
Paul J. Rudershausen, Jeffery A. Buckel, Todd Dubreuil, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Joseph E. Hightower, Steven J. Poland, Benjamin H. Letcher
High throughput computing: a solution for scientific analysis
Public land management agencies continually face resource management problems that are exacerbated by climate warming, land-use change, and other human activities. As the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) works with managers in U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies and other federal, state, and private entities, researchers are finding that the science neede
Authors
M. O'Donnell
Use of portable antennas to estimate abundance of PIT-tagged fish in small streams: Factors affecting detection probability
Portable passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antenna systems can be valuable in providing reliable estimates of the abundance of tagged Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in small streams under a wide range of conditions. We developed and employed PIT tag antenna wand techniques in two controlled experiments and an additional case study to examine the factors that influenced our ability to estimate
Authors
Matthew J. O'Donnell, Gregg E. Horton, Benjamin H. Letcher
Size and age distributions of Juvenile Connecticut River American shad above Hadley Falls: Influence on outmigration representation and timing
Age- and size-based habitat use and movement patterns of young-of-year American shad in rivers are not well understood. Adult females reach their natal rivers at different times and ascend the river at different rates, which may lead to variation of hatch dates at a single location. Also, shad are serial spawners, so eggs of the same female may be released at different distances from the river mou
Authors
M. J. O'Donnell, B. H. Letcher
Population response to habitat fragmentation in a stream-dwelling brook trout population
Fragmentation can strongly influence population persistence and expression of life-history strategies in spatially-structured populations. In this study, we directly estimated size-specific dispersal, growth, and survival of stream-dwelling brook trout in a stream network with connected and naturally-isolated tributaries. We used multiple-generation, individual-based data to develop and parameteri
Authors
B. H. Letcher, K.H. Nislow, J.A. Coombs, M. J. O'Donnell, T.L. Dubreuil
A field test of the extent of bias in selection estimates after accounting for emigration
Question: To what extent does trait-dependent emigration bias selection estimates in a natural system? Organisms: Two freshwater cohorts of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles. Field site: A 1 km stretch of a small stream (West Brook) in western Massachusetts. USA from which emigration could be detected continuously. Methods: Estimated viability selection differentials for body size either inc
Authors
B. H. Letcher, G.E. Horton, T.L. Dubreuil, M. J. O'Donnell
Long-term consequences of variation in timing and manner of fry introduction on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) growth, survival, and life-history expression
We tested the influence of introduction time and the manner of introduction on growth, survival, and life-history expression of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Introduction treatments included three fry stocking times and stream rearing of embryos. Despite poor growth conditions during the early stocking period, early-stocked fish were larger throughout the entire study period, likely the result of
Authors
B. H. Letcher, T. Dubreuil, M. J. O'Donnell, M. Obedzinski, K. Griswold, K.H. Nislow
Non-USGS Publications**
O’Donnell, M, N. Gray, G.Wippelhauser, and P. Christman. 2000. Restoring Our Native Fish Resources, Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration, Annual Progress Report-2000. Maine Department of Marine Resources, Augusta, ME. 96pp.
Gamble, M.E., M.J. O’Donnell, P. Perra, D. St. Pierre, and S. Winslow. 2001. 2001 Review of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Shad and River Herring (Alosa sp.). Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Arlington, VA.
O’Donnell, M, N. Gray, G.Wippelhauser, and P. Christman. 2001. Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration, Annual Progress Report-2001. Maine Department of Marine Resources, Augusta, ME. 110pp.
O’Donnell, M, N. Gray, G.Wippelhauser, and P. Christman. 2002. Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration, Annual Progress Report-2002. Maine Department of Marine Resources, Augusta, ME. 93pp.
Kircheis, F.W., J.G Trial, D.P Boucher, B. Mower, T. Squiers, N. Gray, M. O’Donnell, and J.S. Stahlnecker. 2004. Analysis of impacts related to the introduction of anadromous alewife into a small freshwater lake in central Maine, USA. Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Augusta, ME. 53 pp.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.