Ben Gahagan is a Diadromous Fisheries Biologist with MA DMF based at the Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station in Gloucester. His primary focus is on monitoring and restoring diadromous fish populations in Massachusetts, and he serves on the diadromous fish Technical Committees for the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers. His research interests are broad but largely focus on the mechanisms and ecology of fish migrations and how this information can be applied to improve conservation and management. Advances in biotelemetry have allowed scientists to unlock fish’s migration patterns and behaviors. MA DMF has been a leader in striped bass research and management and has been using acoustic telemetry for over a decade to inform striped bass fishing and management in state waters. Ben will review past and current DMF projects, including post-release mortality studies, and how the results apply to where striped bass in Massachusetts spend their time, how they get there, and how we can improve abundance and fishing opportunities in the future.
