David Caroffino

David Caroffino serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife within Michigan State University's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Concurrently, he works as a Fisheries Biology Specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) based in Charlevoix, MI, overseeing biological implementation of the 2000 Consent Decree—a critical agreement between Michigan, the U.S. Federal Government, and five Native American tribes governing fish stock allocation under the 1836 Treaty of Washington.

His research focuses on quantitative fisheries management, particularly population assessment of Lake Whitefish and Lake Trout across Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior through his co-chairmanship of the Modeling Subcommittee. Additional expertise spans Lake Sturgeon conservation as co-chair of the Fisheries Division’s Lake Sturgeon Committee, emphasizing species recovery in treaty-affected waters. His work integrates ecological modeling with collaborative resource governance frameworks.

Caroffino actively contributes to institutional leadership as a steering committee member for the Quality of Life Leadership Academy, demonstrating cross-disciplinary engagement in natural resource policy development and stakeholder coordination within Great Lakes fisheries management.