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DONALD J. ORTH
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Recent News:
Making a Difference Award, Instream Flow Council
From dam damage to improved fishing habitats
As fish die in droves in Virginia, scientists seek clues
New tests done for James River fish mystery
Recent Presentations:
How teaching naked opened Pandora’s Box and led back to managing course content
September 3, 2009
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee
Complex Responses to Hydroelectric Dam Operation
September 3, 2009
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee
Academic Interests:
Fisheries management; stream fish ecology; bioethics; population dynamics; instream flow and habitat assessment
Courses Taught:
Ichthyology, Stream Habitat Management
Professional Achievements:
Instream Flow Council's Making a Difference Award(2008);
US Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director's Conservation Award(2006);Certificate of Teaching Excellence (1999); Outstanding Faculty Award
(1998); W.F. Thompson Award American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists
(1993); Student Paper; Outstanding Faculty Award, School of Forestry and
Wildlife Resources, VPI (1989); Best Paper Award, Transactions of the American
Fisheries Society (1982); Fellow, American Institute of Fisheries Research
Biologists; Invited keynote lecturer at Internatinal Symposium on Fish
and their Habitat, Lyon France (1995); Editorial Board Member for Rivers:
Studies in the Science, Environmental Policy and Law of Instream Flow (since
1988); Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (1984-86); North
American Journal of Fisheries Management (1989-91); President, Education
Section, American Fisheries Society (1991-92) ; Certified Fisheries Scientist, American Fisheries Society ; Fellow, American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists ; Fellow, Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute
Current Research Projects:
2008-2009
Investigation into Smallmouth Bass Mortality in Virginia’s Rivers. Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. (PI collaboration with Kathleen A. Alexander, Emmanuel Frimpong, William F. Henley, and J. Reese Voshell
2008-2010:
Model complexity and stock assessment quality: an investigation of the performance of models of different complexities and implications for model selection in fisheries. MARFIN, NOAA. (co PI collaboration with PI Yan Jiao and Eric P. Smith )
2008-2009
Improving stock assessment of weakfish (Cynoscion regalis). Virginia Marine Resources Commission. (co PI collaboration with Yan Jiao )
2007-2011
Restoration ecology of fishes in regulated rivers. North Carolina Cheoah River Fund Board, PI collaboration with C. A. Dolloff
2006-2008
Monitoring and evaluation of aquatic habitat and biota after flow augmentation and restoration in the Cheoah River, North Carolina, U.S. Forest Service (PI)
2006-2008
Using benthic macroinvertebrates to identify causes of fish kills in the Shenandoah River. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Co PI collaboration with J. Reese Voshell, Jr.
Current Students:
Ryan A. McManamay, PhD Student
Recently Completed Research Projects:
Stream habitat modeling to support water management decisions, North Fork Shenandoah River.
Northern Shenandoah Planning District Commission
Application of Research for Drought Contingency Planning
Selected Recent Publications:
Anderson, M.R., D.J. Orth, and S.M. Smith. 2003. Case history: Historical changes in brown trout fishery in the Smith River Tailwater, Virginia. Proceeding of Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. 57:150-159
Berkson, J. M., L. L. Kline, and D. J. Orth, eds. 2002. Incorporating uncertainty into fisheries models. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda Symposium 27, Maryland.
Clark, M., T. Richter, J. Chandler, W. Van Winkle, and D. J. Orth. 2008. Water level fluctuation effects on centrarchid reproductive success in reservoirs: a modeling analysis. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 28: in press
Copeland, J.R., D.J. Orth and G.C. Palmer. 2006. Smallmouth bass management in the New River, Virginia: A case study of population trends with lessons learned. Proceeding of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 60:180-187
Krause, C.W., B. Lockard, T.J. Newcomb, D. Kibler, V. Lohani, and D.J. Orth. 2004. Influence of urban development on thermal habitat in a warm water stream. Journal of the American Water Resources Association.
Krause, C.W., T.J. Newcomb, and D.J. Orth. 2005. Thermal habitat assessment of alternative flow scenarios in tailwater fishery. Rivers Research and Applications. 21:1-13.
Murphy, G., T.J. Newcomb, and D.J. Orth. 2007. Sexual and seasonal variations of mercury in smallmouth bass. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 22(1):135-143
Murphy, G., T.J. Newcomb, D.J. Orth, and S. J. Reeser. 2006. Food habits of selected fish species in the Shenandoah River Basin, Virginia . Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 59:325-335.
Newcomb, T.J., D.J. Orth, and D.F. Stauffer. 2007. Habitat Evaluation. Pages 843-886 in M.L. Brown and C.S. Guy – editors, Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
Persinger, J.W., D.J. Orth, and T. J. Newcomb. 2004. A comparison of snorkeling versus throwable anode electrofishing for evaluating stream fish habitat use. Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 19:547-557.
Orth, D. J. 2000. Professor Firehose takes a vacation: Creating a climate where everyone learns more. Fisheries 25(5):24-27.
Orth, D. J. 2002. Marine mammal protection. Pages 257-267 in G. L. Comstock, ed. Life Science Ethics, Iowa State University Press
Orth, D. J., and T. J. Newcomb. 2002. Certainties and uncertainties in defining essential habitats for riverine smallmouth bass. Pages 251-264 in M. S. Ridgway and D. P. Philipp, eds. Black Bass: Ecology, Conservation, and Management. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
Pert, E. J., D. J. Orth, and M. J. Sabo. 2002. Lotic-dwelling age-0 smallmouth bass as both resource specialists and generalists: reconciling disparate literature reports. Pages 185-189 in M. S. Ridgway and D. P. Philipp, eds. Black Bass: Ecology, Conservation, and Management. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
Sabo, M. J., and D. J. Orth. 2002. Effects of hunger on foraging behavior of age-0 smallmouth bass in a heterogeneous environment. Environmental Biology of Fishes 63:217-222.
Vadas, R. L., and D. J. Orth. 2000. Habitat use of fish communities in a Virginia stream system. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 59:253-269.
Vadas, R. L., and D. J. Orth. 2001. Formulation of habitat suitability models for stream-fish guilds: do the standard methods work? Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130:217-235.
Graduate Students completing degrees under the direction of Donald J. Orth:
Jason W. Persinger. Developing habitat suitability criteria for individual species and habitat guilds in the Shenandoah River basin 2003
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04072003-160721/
Matthew D. Chan. Fish ecomorphology: predicting habitat preferences of stream fishes from their body shape. PhD 2001
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05242001-183326/
Present position: Hydro Business Development Manager
PB Power, Boston Massachusetts
Vann F. Stancil, "Effects of Watershed and Habitat Conditions on Stream Fishes in the Upper
Roanoke River Watershed, Virginia. M.S. Thesis 2000
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07072000-19590043/restricted/Stancil_ETD.PDF
Ryan K. Smith, Differential stability of spawning microhabitats of warmwater stream fishes. MS Thesis, 1999. Present Position: Aquatic Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, Durham, NC.
Edmund J. Pert, Diet overlap and habitat segregation between redbreast sunfish and age - 0 smallmouth bass in the North Anna River, Virginia. Regional Manager, California Fish and Game
William L. Knotek, Mortality of smallmouth bass during parental care: implications for year-class strength. MS Thesis, 1995. Present Position: Fisheries Biologist, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife Parks, Missoula, Montana.
Robert L. Vadas, Jr. , Habitat tools for assessing instream-flow needs for fishes in the upper Roanoke River. Ph.D. Diss., 1994. Present Position: Research Scientist, Florida Marine Research Institute, St. Petersburg.
Allan E. Creamer, Evaluating the effects of angler behavior on the efficacy of harvest regulations in recreational fisheries. M.S. Thesis, 1993. Present position: Fisheries Biologist, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Hydropower Licensing, Washington, D.C
Thomas P. Groshens, An assessment of the transferability of habitat suitability criteria for smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu. M.S. Thesis, 1993. Present position: Fisheries Biologist, Missouri Department of Conservation, Sedalia, MO
Joseph A. Lukas, Factors affecting reproductive success of smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish in the North Anna River, Virginia. M.S. Thesis, 1993. Present Position: Fisheries Biologist, Grant County Public Utility District, Ephrata, Washington.
Matthew J. Sabo, Microhabitat use and its effect on growth of age-0 smallmouth bass in the North Anna River, Virginia. Ph.D. Diss., 1993. Present Position: Research Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University.
Robert S. Easton, Feeding ecology of age-0 smallmouth bass in the New River, West Virginia. M.S. Thesis, 1992. Present position: Fisheries Biologist, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC.
Brian K. Wagner, Modeling to compare harvest regulations in recreational fisheries: case study of smallmouth bass fisheries. M.S. Thesis, 1991. Present Position: Non-game Aquatic Biologist, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
David A. Coahran, Effects of liming on plankton and young-of-year bluegill growth in Flat Top Lake, West Virginia. M. S. Thesis, 1990. Present Position: Fisheries Specialist, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources.
Ron W. Kokel, Factors related to angler compliance in a black bass fishery, James River, Virginia. M.S. Thesis, 1990. Present Position: Waterfowl Biologist, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC.
Kelly J. Meyer, Effects of drifting prey abundance on food consumption and growth of brook trout in Shenandoah National Park. M.S. Thesis, 1990. Present Position: Fisheries Biologist, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Whiteriver, Arizona.
Scott M. Smith, The influence of submerged aquatic vegetation on trophic relationships of largemouth bass. M.S. Thesis, 1989. Present Position: District Fisheries Biologist, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Forest, VA.
Michael J. Roell, Role of predation, competition, and exploitation in the community dynamics of the New River in West Virginia. Ph.D. Diss., 1989. Present Position: Research Biologist, Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, MO
Donald C. Hershfeld, Assessing potential navigation impacts to the Kanawha River ecosystem: a modeling approach. M.S. Thesis, 1987. Present Postion: Aquatic Ecologists owner of Streams and Dreams, Oakland, Maryland.
Michael C. Odom, Distribution of larval fishes in the Winfield Pool, Kanawha River and direct impacts of commercial navigation traffic on larval fish survival. M.S. Thesis, 1987. Present Position: Fisheries Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Williamsburg, VA.
M. Delbert Lobb, III, Habitat use by fishes of the New River, West Virginia. M.S. Thesis, 1986. Present Position: Stream Habitat Specialist, Missouri Department of Conservation.
Douglas J. Austen, Evaluation of the effects of a 305-mm minimum length limit on the smallmouth bass populations in the New River. M.S. Thesis, 1984. Present Position: Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boating Commission
Robert J. Graham, Time and duration of spawning by smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) in the New River drainage. M.S. Thesis, 1984. Present Position: Senior Biologist, Dominion Power Company, Richmond, VA
Paul M. Leonard, The use of fish communities in the evaluation of biotic integrity. M.S. Thesis, 1984. Present Positon: Vice President Entrix Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.