Date and location of meeting: March 4-7, 2025 at Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, WV
Register: https://www.xcdsystem.com/afs/attendee/index.cfm?ID=9hOFejb
Submit an abstract: https://www.xcdsystem.com/afs/abstract/index.cfm?ID=QSUywik
***Note: February 7, 2025 is the deadline for early-bird pricing for registration and for submitting abstracts. February 1, 2025 is the last day to reserve a room in the block for a guaranteed rate of $119/night at Oglebay Resort (304-243-4000).***
Sponsorship Opportunities
Tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities provide a great opportunity for your organization to access the eyes and ears of hundreds of professionals and advertise your products and services. There are different sponsorship levels with varying benefits. Become a sponsor through the registration link. The different sponsorship levels are:
Gold: $1,000 and up
- Table/ Exhibit Booth
- 2 complimentary registrations
- 1/2 page advertisement
- Option to advertise at Social
Silver: $500
- Table/ Exhibit Booth
- 1 complimentary registration
- 1/4 page advertisement
Bronze: $200
- Table/ Exhibit Booth
Lodging & Venue
Lodging is provided at the venue, and we have a block of rooms reserved at a rate of $119/night. Please reserve rooms in the meeting’s block. To reserve a room, call Oglebay Resort at 304-243-4000 and mention you are with the American Fisheries Society Meeting. Rooms are guaranteed at this rate until February 1, 2025. You can also visit Oglebay Resort’s website to see all their amenities at: https://oglebay.com/
Social
We are also planning a welcome social for Tuesday night at the resort with appetizers and a grand reception Wednesday night with a provided meal. These will be great opportunities to network with students and professionals and we hope that you will stay and enjoy the food and company.
Plenary
Dr. Stuart Welsh of the West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit will be giving a plenary titled ‘Hornyheads, Madtoms, and Darters: Narratives promoting public awareness of our freshwater fauna’. A nature lover’s paradise, Central Appalachia supports a diversity of life in an extensive network of waterways and is home to a dazzling array of fish species. This presentation will include stories from Hornyheads, Madtoms, and Darters: Narratives on Central Appalachian Fishes. The book is a collection of essays on nature, naturalists, and the natural history of fishes. A focus is not only on the fascinating things that fishes do in their natural habitats, but also on promoting public awareness of our fish fauna.
About the presenter: Stuart A. Welsh is a fisheries research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program, where he addresses research and technical needs of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and other natural resource agencies and organizations. He also serves as a Professor of Ichthyology at West Virginia University, where he mentors graduate students and conducts fish research in the areas of taxonomy and systematics, species distribution, movement ecology, habitat use, and endangered species. He has taught courses in Ichthyology, Astacology, and Quantitative Ecology.
Stuart attended West Virginia University (BS, PhD) and Frostburg State University (MS). He is a member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and the American Fisheries Society. He has also served on committees of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for the management and conservation of Striped Bass. His most recent award recognition was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Recovery Champion Award as a member of the Candy Darter Conservation Team.
Workshops
There will be an option to attend one of four workshops Friday morning. They are:
Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Identification
Instructor: Dr. Zach Steffensmeier, Lecturer at The Ohio State University
Description: A hands-on session designed to enhance participants' knowledge of freshwater macroinvertebrates and their ecological roles. The workshop covers key aquatic macroinvertebrate orders, sampling techniques, and identification methods (family level), aiming to improve participants' skills in using macroinvertebrates for aquatic monitoring and environmental education. By the end of the workshop, participants are expected to be proficient in identifying various macroinvertebrate taxa and understanding their significance in assessing water quality.
Fish Identification
Instructor: Brian Zimmerman, Field Collections Coordinator at The Ohio State University
Description: A hands-on session led by Brian Zimmerman, co-author of A Naturalist’s Guide to the Fishes of Ohio. This workshop is designed to enhance participants' knowledge of fish identification including fish from the midwest and eastern United States. The workshop will cover fish identification to species level and key characteristics and help participants differentiate similar species.
Environmental Policies and Laws for Fisheries Biologists
Instructor: Dr. Than Hitt, Senior Scientist at West Virgina Rivers Coalition
Description: Laws, regulations, and policies shape the foundation of fisheries and environmental science, management, and monitoring. Critical pieces of legislation such as the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act often dictate the processes of management and regulation which fisheries scientists carry out routinely. This workshop will offer a primer of these critical laws and how they relate to the fisheries profession, as applicable for biologists, technicians, and students who work in various settings now and into the future.
R Workflows for Fisheries Data
Instructors: Lou Reynolds, Biologist - USEPA Region 3 Field Services Branch & Nicole Sadecky, Life Scientist – USEPA Region 3 Clean Water Branch
Description: This workshop will be appropriate for beginner to intermediate R users and even expert users might learn a thing or two. We will demonstrate and supply R workflows to make data analysis understandable and repeatable. The material will be comprehensive – that is, we will cover all the basics, but at the same time dive deep into some useful and complicated workflows. It is our intent to illustrate and explain instead of expecting participants to work through data examples in real time. We will cover everything from data wrangling, and visualization - to downloading nhd plus and stream cat data and making maps.
