Dr. Steve McCormick has been a researcher at the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center since 1990, and has also been a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst during that time. His research focuses on understanding the physiological and endocrine control of adaptations to environmental change, especially responses to salinity, temperature and anthropogenic environmental stressors.
Keynote Talk Abstract: Anadromous species must make the transition from freshwater to seawater at least once in their lifetime. Salmon undergo morphological, physiological and behavioral changes that are preparatory and adaptive for seawater entry and are collectively known as the parr-smolt transformation. Smolt development is regulated by environmental factors such as photoperiod and temperature and mediated by the neuroendocrine system. All anadromous species appear unable to survive in seawater early in ontogeny, and most undergo developmental increases in salinity tolerance. The diversity of physiological strategies and the timing of seawater entry will be presented for the native anadromous species of New England, and implications for their management will be discussed.