Abigail J. Lynch, Ph.D.
Abigail (Abby) J. Lynch is a Research Fish Biologist with the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center. Abby conducts science and science syntheses on the impacts of global change to inland fishes at local, national, and global scales. Her work aims to inform conservation and sustainable use and to help fishers, managers, and other practitioners adapt to change.
Collaborative Networks
Collaborative Networks
Abby leads the National CASC's aquatics program and co-leads the CASC Fish Research Team. She is adjunct/affiliate faculty at Michigan State University, North Carolina State University, the University of Florida, and the University of Missouri.
She serves as the coordinator for the international 'InFish' research network, a steward for the Fish and Climate Change Database (FiCli), an Associate Editor for Fisheries Management and Ecology, and an Editorial Board member for Sustainability Science.
Abby received her Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University on climate impacts to Great Lakes Lake Whitefish, M.S. in marine science on Atlantic Menhaden population genetics at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, and B.S. in biology and B.A. in English literature from the University of Virginia. She also served as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Fisheries Program.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University
M.S. in Marine Science, College of William & Mary
B.S. in Biology, University of Virginia
B.A. in English, University of Virginia
Affiliations and Memberships*
IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group; IUCN Fisheries Expert Group
IPBES Global and Nexus Assessments (Fellow, Lead Author, Programmatic Review Panelist)
2024 World Fisheries Congress International Program Committee (Co-chair)
UN International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (International Steering Committee)
FAO International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability (Advisory Board Member)
American Fisheries Society International Fisheries Section (Past-President)
Honors and Awards
Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Michigan State University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 107
Twitter predicts citation rates of ecological research
The relationship between traditional metrics of research impact (e.g., number of citations) and alternative metrics (altmetrics) such as Twitter activity are of great interest, but remain imprecisely quantified. We used generalized linear mixed modeling to estimate the relative effects of Twitter activity, journal impact factor, and time since publication on Web of Science citation rates...
Authors
Brandon K. Peoples, Stephen R. Midway, Dana K. Sackett, Abigail Lynch, Patrick B. Cooney
Adapting inland fisheries management to a changing climate
Natural resource decision makers are challenged to adapt management to a changing climate while balancing short-term management goals with long-term changes in aquatic systems. Adaptation will require developing resilient ecosystems and resilient management systems. Decision makers already have tools to develop or ensure resilient aquatic systems and fisheries such as managing harvest...
Authors
Craig P. Paukert, Bob A. Glazer, Gretchen J.A. Hansen, Brian J. Irwin, Peter C. Jacobson, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Brian J. Shuter, James E. Whitney, Abigail Lynch
Identifying alternate pathways for climate change to impact inland recreational fishers
Fisheries and human dimensions literature suggests that climate change influences inland recreational fishers in North America through three major pathways. The most widely recognized pathway suggests that climate change impacts habitat and fish populations (e.g., water temperature impacting fish survival) and cascades to impact fishers. Climate change also impacts recreational fishers...
Authors
Len M. Hunt, Eli P. Fenichel, David C. Fulton, Robert Mendelsohn, Jordan W. Smith, Tyler D. Tunney, Abigail Lynch, Craig P. Paukert, James E. Whitney
Stakeholder views of management and decision support tools to integrate climate change into Great Lakes Lake Whitefish management
Decision support tools can aid decision making by systematically incorporating information, accounting for uncertainties, and facilitating evaluation between alternatives. Without user buy-in, however, decision support tools can fail to influence decision-making processes. We surveyed fishery researchers, managers, and fishers affiliated with the Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, William W. Taylor, Aaron M. McCright
To manage inland fisheries is to manage at the social-ecological watershed scale
Approaches to managing inland fisheries vary between systems and regions but are often based on large-scale marine fisheries principles and thus limited and outdated. Rarely do they adopt holistic approaches that consider the complex interplay among humans, fish, and the environment. We argue that there is an urgent need for a shift in inland fisheries management towards holistic and...
Authors
Vivian T. Nguyen, Abigail Lynch, Nathan L Young, Ian. G. Cowx, T. Douglas Beard,, William W. Taylor, Steven J. Cooke
Climate change effects on North American inland fish populations and assemblages
Climate is a critical driver of many fish populations, assemblages, and aquatic communities. However, direct observational studies of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes are rare. In this synthesis, we (1) summarize climate trends that may influence North American inland fish populations and assemblages, (2) compile 31 peer-reviewed studies of documented climate change...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Bonnie Myers, Cindy Chu, Lisa A. Eby, Jeffrey A. Falke, Ryan Kovach, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Thomas J. Kwak, John J. Lyons, Craig P. Paukert, James E. Whitney
On the sustainability of inland fisheries: Finding a future for the forgotten
At present, inland fisheries are not often a national or regional governance priority and as a result, inland capture fisheries are undervalued and largely overlooked. As such they are threatened in both developing and developed countries. Indeed, due to lack of reliable data, inland fisheries have never been part of any high profile global fisheries assessment and are notably absent...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Edward H. Allison, T. Douglas Beard,, Robert Arlinghaus, Angela H. Arthington, Devin M. Bartley, Ian. G. Cowx, Carlos Fuentevilla, Nancy J. Léonard, Kai Lorenzen, Abigail Lynch, Vivian T. Nguyen, So-Jung Youn, William W. Tayor, Robin Welcomme
The social, economic, and environmental importance of inland fish and fisheries
Though reported capture fisheries are dominated by marine production, inland fish and fisheries make substantial contributions to meeting the challenges faced by individuals, society, and the environment in a changing global landscape. Inland capture fisheries and aquaculture contribute over 40% to the world’s reported finfish production from less than 0.01% of the total volume of water...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Steven J. Cooke, Andrew M. Deines, Shannon D. Bower, David Bunnell, Ian. G. Cowx, Vivian T. Nguyen, Joel K. Nohner, Kaviphone Phouthavong, Betsy Riley, Mark W. Rogers, William W. Taylor, Whitney Woelmer, So-Jung Youn, T. Douglas Beard,
Physiological basis of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes
Global climate change is altering freshwater ecosystems and affecting fish populations and communities. Underpinning changes in fish distribution and assemblage-level responses to climate change are individual-level physiological constraints. In this review, we synthesize the mechanistic effects of climate change on neuroendocrine, cardiorespiratory, immune, osmoregulatory, and...
Authors
James E. Whitney, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, David B. Bunnell, Colleen A. Caldwell, Steven J. Cooke, Erika J. Eliason, Mark W. Rogers, Abigail Lynch, Craig P. Paukert
Drivers and synergies in the management of inland fisheries: Searching for sustainable solutions
Freshwater is a shared resource. Water challenges (i.e., too much, too little, too dirty) are recognized to have global implications. Many sectors rely upon water and, in some cases, the limited availability of water leads to tough decisions. Though inland fish and fisheries play important roles in providing food security, human well-being, and ecosystem productivity, this sector is...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, T. Douglas Beard,
Climate change projections for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) recruitment in the 1836 Treaty Waters of the Upper Great Lakes
Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is an ecologically, culturally, and economically important species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Lake whitefish have been a staple food source for thousands of years and, since 1980, have supported the most economically valuable (annual catch value ≈ US$16.6 million) and productive (annual harvest ≈ 7 million kg) commercial fishery in the upper...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, William W. Taylor, T. Douglas Beard,, Brent M. Lofgren
Filter Total Items: 32
Filter Total Items: 23
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 107
Twitter predicts citation rates of ecological research
The relationship between traditional metrics of research impact (e.g., number of citations) and alternative metrics (altmetrics) such as Twitter activity are of great interest, but remain imprecisely quantified. We used generalized linear mixed modeling to estimate the relative effects of Twitter activity, journal impact factor, and time since publication on Web of Science citation rates...
Authors
Brandon K. Peoples, Stephen R. Midway, Dana K. Sackett, Abigail Lynch, Patrick B. Cooney
Adapting inland fisheries management to a changing climate
Natural resource decision makers are challenged to adapt management to a changing climate while balancing short-term management goals with long-term changes in aquatic systems. Adaptation will require developing resilient ecosystems and resilient management systems. Decision makers already have tools to develop or ensure resilient aquatic systems and fisheries such as managing harvest...
Authors
Craig P. Paukert, Bob A. Glazer, Gretchen J.A. Hansen, Brian J. Irwin, Peter C. Jacobson, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Brian J. Shuter, James E. Whitney, Abigail Lynch
Identifying alternate pathways for climate change to impact inland recreational fishers
Fisheries and human dimensions literature suggests that climate change influences inland recreational fishers in North America through three major pathways. The most widely recognized pathway suggests that climate change impacts habitat and fish populations (e.g., water temperature impacting fish survival) and cascades to impact fishers. Climate change also impacts recreational fishers...
Authors
Len M. Hunt, Eli P. Fenichel, David C. Fulton, Robert Mendelsohn, Jordan W. Smith, Tyler D. Tunney, Abigail Lynch, Craig P. Paukert, James E. Whitney
Stakeholder views of management and decision support tools to integrate climate change into Great Lakes Lake Whitefish management
Decision support tools can aid decision making by systematically incorporating information, accounting for uncertainties, and facilitating evaluation between alternatives. Without user buy-in, however, decision support tools can fail to influence decision-making processes. We surveyed fishery researchers, managers, and fishers affiliated with the Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, William W. Taylor, Aaron M. McCright
To manage inland fisheries is to manage at the social-ecological watershed scale
Approaches to managing inland fisheries vary between systems and regions but are often based on large-scale marine fisheries principles and thus limited and outdated. Rarely do they adopt holistic approaches that consider the complex interplay among humans, fish, and the environment. We argue that there is an urgent need for a shift in inland fisheries management towards holistic and...
Authors
Vivian T. Nguyen, Abigail Lynch, Nathan L Young, Ian. G. Cowx, T. Douglas Beard,, William W. Taylor, Steven J. Cooke
Climate change effects on North American inland fish populations and assemblages
Climate is a critical driver of many fish populations, assemblages, and aquatic communities. However, direct observational studies of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes are rare. In this synthesis, we (1) summarize climate trends that may influence North American inland fish populations and assemblages, (2) compile 31 peer-reviewed studies of documented climate change...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Bonnie Myers, Cindy Chu, Lisa A. Eby, Jeffrey A. Falke, Ryan Kovach, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Thomas J. Kwak, John J. Lyons, Craig P. Paukert, James E. Whitney
On the sustainability of inland fisheries: Finding a future for the forgotten
At present, inland fisheries are not often a national or regional governance priority and as a result, inland capture fisheries are undervalued and largely overlooked. As such they are threatened in both developing and developed countries. Indeed, due to lack of reliable data, inland fisheries have never been part of any high profile global fisheries assessment and are notably absent...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Edward H. Allison, T. Douglas Beard,, Robert Arlinghaus, Angela H. Arthington, Devin M. Bartley, Ian. G. Cowx, Carlos Fuentevilla, Nancy J. Léonard, Kai Lorenzen, Abigail Lynch, Vivian T. Nguyen, So-Jung Youn, William W. Tayor, Robin Welcomme
The social, economic, and environmental importance of inland fish and fisheries
Though reported capture fisheries are dominated by marine production, inland fish and fisheries make substantial contributions to meeting the challenges faced by individuals, society, and the environment in a changing global landscape. Inland capture fisheries and aquaculture contribute over 40% to the world’s reported finfish production from less than 0.01% of the total volume of water...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Steven J. Cooke, Andrew M. Deines, Shannon D. Bower, David Bunnell, Ian. G. Cowx, Vivian T. Nguyen, Joel K. Nohner, Kaviphone Phouthavong, Betsy Riley, Mark W. Rogers, William W. Taylor, Whitney Woelmer, So-Jung Youn, T. Douglas Beard,
Physiological basis of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes
Global climate change is altering freshwater ecosystems and affecting fish populations and communities. Underpinning changes in fish distribution and assemblage-level responses to climate change are individual-level physiological constraints. In this review, we synthesize the mechanistic effects of climate change on neuroendocrine, cardiorespiratory, immune, osmoregulatory, and...
Authors
James E. Whitney, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, David B. Bunnell, Colleen A. Caldwell, Steven J. Cooke, Erika J. Eliason, Mark W. Rogers, Abigail Lynch, Craig P. Paukert
Drivers and synergies in the management of inland fisheries: Searching for sustainable solutions
Freshwater is a shared resource. Water challenges (i.e., too much, too little, too dirty) are recognized to have global implications. Many sectors rely upon water and, in some cases, the limited availability of water leads to tough decisions. Though inland fish and fisheries play important roles in providing food security, human well-being, and ecosystem productivity, this sector is...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, T. Douglas Beard,
Climate change projections for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) recruitment in the 1836 Treaty Waters of the Upper Great Lakes
Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is an ecologically, culturally, and economically important species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Lake whitefish have been a staple food source for thousands of years and, since 1980, have supported the most economically valuable (annual catch value ≈ US$16.6 million) and productive (annual harvest ≈ 7 million kg) commercial fishery in the upper...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, William W. Taylor, T. Douglas Beard,, Brent M. Lofgren
Filter Total Items: 32
Filter Total Items: 23
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government