David Kazyak, Ph.D.
Dave Kazyak is a Supervisory Research Fish Biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center in Kearneysville, WV.
Dave Kazyak is a Supervisory Research Fish Biologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center leads a conservation genetics and genomics research team. His research applies quantitative approaches in conservation genetics and population dynamics to provide decision-relevant information for imperiled species. Dave Kazyak's current projects use cutting-edge genetics tools to identify biologically-appropriate management units, measure rates of gene flow, and characterize how isolation, genetic drift, and hatchery supplementation impact wild populations. He also is working to develop novel approaches to census imperiled fishes, including techniques using combinations of acoustic telemetry, side-scan sonar, and genetics.
Professional Experience
2017-Present. U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center. Research Fish Biologist.
2015-2017. U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center (Integrated Statistics Contractor) - Postdoctoral Scientist.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2015. University of Maryland (Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science)
M.S. 2011. University of Maine (Wildlife Ecology)
B.S. 2008. Frostburg State University (Wildlife and Fisheries)
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Fisheries Society
North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society
Science and Products
Establishment of a microsatellite genetic baseline for North American Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser o. oxyrhinchus) and range-wide analysis of population genetics
Impacts of sediment removal from and placement in coastal barrier island systems
Executive SummaryOn June 24, 2019, Congressman Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, sent a letter to the directors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to request their assistance in answering questions regarding coastal sediment resource management within the Coastal Barrier Resources System as defined by the Coastal Barrier
Atlantic sturgeon status and movement ecology in an extremely small spawning habitat: The Nanticoke River-Marshyhope Creek, Chesapeake Bay
Stock composition of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) encountered in marine and estuarine environments on the U.S. Atlantic Coast
Genetic structure of Maryland Brook Trout populations: Management implications for a threatened species
Development of genetic baseline information to support the conservation and management of wild Brook Trout in North Carolina
A Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) research—Preliminary results and future opportunities
Development of microsatellite markers for three at risk tiger beetles Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis, C. d. media, and C. puritana
Integrating side-scan sonar and acoustic telemetry to estimate the annual spawning run size of Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River
Using advanced population genomics to better understand the relationship between offshore and spawning habitat use for Atlantic Sturgeon
Understanding the genetic characteristics of Wild Brook Trout populations in North Carolina thanks to the guidance of Dr. Tim King
Non-USGS Publications**
Management 36:259-266
**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
Establishment of a microsatellite genetic baseline for North American Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser o. oxyrhinchus) and range-wide analysis of population genetics
Impacts of sediment removal from and placement in coastal barrier island systems
Executive SummaryOn June 24, 2019, Congressman Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, sent a letter to the directors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to request their assistance in answering questions regarding coastal sediment resource management within the Coastal Barrier Resources System as defined by the Coastal Barrier
Atlantic sturgeon status and movement ecology in an extremely small spawning habitat: The Nanticoke River-Marshyhope Creek, Chesapeake Bay
Stock composition of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) encountered in marine and estuarine environments on the U.S. Atlantic Coast
Genetic structure of Maryland Brook Trout populations: Management implications for a threatened species
Development of genetic baseline information to support the conservation and management of wild Brook Trout in North Carolina
A Bayesian framework for assessing extinction risk based on ordinal categories of population condition and projected landscape change
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) research—Preliminary results and future opportunities
Development of microsatellite markers for three at risk tiger beetles Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis, C. d. media, and C. puritana
Integrating side-scan sonar and acoustic telemetry to estimate the annual spawning run size of Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River
Using advanced population genomics to better understand the relationship between offshore and spawning habitat use for Atlantic Sturgeon
Understanding the genetic characteristics of Wild Brook Trout populations in North Carolina thanks to the guidance of Dr. Tim King
Non-USGS Publications**
Management 36:259-266
**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.
*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