Joseph Zydlewski

Joseph Zydlewski is a Professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology at the University of Maine, Orono, and serves as cooperating faculty in the School of Biology and Ecology and the School of Marine Sciences. He joined the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (MCFWRU) in 2004 as Assistant Unit Leader after working at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Columbia River Fisheries Program Office.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. from University of Massachusetts (1997)
• B.S. from Bates College (1990)

Dr. Zydlewski's research centers on fish movements and migrations, with emphasis on life history expression to address critical fisheries management issues. His program focuses on three interconnected themes: Connectivity and River Restoration, Physiology and Behavior of Migration, and Species Interactions. He develops research in direct collaboration with state and federal cooperators including Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and US Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure practical applications.

His recent publications demonstrate strong expertise in salmonid and sturgeon ecology, examining survival mechanisms, migration physiology, and habitat use across changing ecosystems. Key studies analyze Atlantic salmon smolt survival in dynamic catchments, microchemical tools for reconstructing sturgeon habitat use, and brook trout movement in restored coastal streams, highlighting integration of field ecology with conservation management.

As graduate faculty, he teaches specialized courses including "Movements and Migration" and "Quantitative Freshwater Fisheries Ecology," directs independent studies, and serves on numerous thesis committees. His research is supported through cooperative agreements with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Maine, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

He operates within the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit framework, leading projects examining river food webs, dam removal impacts on migratory communities, and sea lamprey-salmon interactions in Maine rivers, maintaining close ties with resource management agencies.