Dylan Tauzer Email & Phone Number

Brookings, Oregon, United States

The Marine Non-Salmonid Recreational Fishery Studies Project collects marine recreational fisheries data along the Oregon coast to support management, monitoring, and assessment of Oregon's important non-salmonid species targeted by marine recreational anglers.At-sea observation aboard charter fishing vessels conducting regular fishing trips, to collect location-specific data on catch rates, discard rates, and size of discarded fishDockside sampling of angler catches for length and age structures such as otoliths (rockfish) and fin rays (lingcod).Winter dockside creel surveys and video review of marine recreational fishing effort and catch.Conduct recreational fishing surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, reproductive condition, and/or signs of fin clips or tags.Collect and organize biological samples and collections (such asotoliths, other ageing structures, other tissues, etc.).Summarize and input biological or effort data on field forms, electronic data loggers, and/or desktop computers. May assist with preliminary data summaries and analyses, technical report writing, or database management.Prepare samples for precision ageing of various fish species in a laboratory setting.Conduct video review of recreational fishing vessels to generate effort estimates.Make multiple single day trips to sea aboard charter fishing vessels to record location-specific catch rates, discard rates and size of discarded fish.Solicit charter operators and offices to obtain permission to conduct at-sea sampling aboard their vessels.Make regular overnight visits to sampling locations, utilizing commercial lodging and state-owned vehicles.Develop and maintain relationships with charter offices and operators, and with the general public.Maintain data confidentiality and adhere to information security protocols.

In this position I anesthetize, identify, handle, and sample juvenile salmonids following established procedures with another biologist or alone, and train and lead technicians at the Lower Granite Dam’s Juvenile Fish Facility located on the Snake River. After I administer MS-222 anesthetic, I measure, weigh and evaluate fish condition by examining anesthetized fish for injuries that were sustained during the fish passage process, such as descaling rates, predation signs, and injuries to the head, body, fins and eyes. I also look for signs of disease such as columnaris, bacterial kidney disease, popeye, skeletal deformities, and parasites. Additionally, I record the species run/rear type by looking for clipped adipose fins, coded wire tag presence, and fin erosion in unclipped Steelhead.I help direct and coordinate Smolt Monitoring Program sampling activities on-site with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff and other agencies performing research at the dam. To do this, we decide together on the daily sample rate to achieve the sample goals, yet not over-sample, in order to reduce the handling of target ESA-listed juvenile salmonids as much as possible.After the sample is complete, I enter the field data into computer databases using Microsoft Excel and Access, validate daily data with another agency who reports to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and then I submit the data to the Fish Passage Center's Smolt Monitoring Program. I also help prepare and review weekly and annual reports for the Smolt Monitoring Program by validating daily and weekly data with other agencies conducting research at the dam to ensure accurate reporting by following proper quality control and quality assurance practices.

In this role, I worked as a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) observer aboard commercial fixed gear and trawl fishing vessels for up to ten day deployments. When in port I was on-call and could get called to go out on a boat at a moments notice and sometimes from a different port than I was stationed at.I used various random sampling methods and protocols to collect catch-related data used by NMFS to assess the mortality of protected, target, and by-catch species. I was trained to identify hundreds of marine species and enter neat and precise field data onto both paper and handheld tablets. Much of the time this data was collected in rough sea and weather conditions and at all hours of the day or night. I also recorded various fishing effort information such as set/retrieval time, locations, and vessel retained catch estimates from the vessel’s logbook. To do so required clear communication between the vessel's crew and captain. I collected biosample data such as lengths, otoliths, and tissue samples of various species of interest. This included incidentally-caught adult salmon. I also collected data on takes and sightings of marine mammals, protected seabirds, and was trained to identify and sample sea turtles if I were to encounter one.The other role of this position was working as a Catch Monitor to oversee the landing of the fish at fish buyer and processor plants to confirm the proper sorting, weighing, and recording of retained fish on the fish ticket.I then would enter all field data into a computer database following each deployment and report to a NMFS debriefer to ensure proper QA/QC. While out at sea, I kept detailed daily notes of sampling, protected species sightings, safety concerns, and possible law infractions in a logbook submitted to NOAA.

In this position, I conducted creel surveys with recreational fishers in order to collect catch/release information and fishery effort counts. I also collected neat and precise biological data from harvested salmonids and sturgeon including coded wire tag retrieval, PIT tag data collection, fin clip information, length, weight, scale collection, and species identification, and entered information onto a handheld tablet.I was able to help out by sampling returning salmon adults at Big Creek and Klaskanine hatcheries alongside hatchery staff and volunteers, processing fish in a hatchery setting to collect neat and precise field data and entering it onto a handheld tablet.I administered PIT tags to sturgeon on commercial gill net fishing vessels in the Columbia River estuary, while also handling, taking length measurements, and looking for scute markings.Lastly, I gained experience with a stream survey crew and we hiked in and along streams in fast moving current and uneven terrain to conduct salmonid carcass and redd surveys. I identified redds and collected data on spawned-out carcasses such as length, sex, and scales. I discussed with the crew lead about how they contact landowners for permission on the river, what challenges they faced with gaining permission, and what to do if they were denied permission. I also learned and demonstrated how to mount the scales collected in the field onto slides that would later be analyzed under a microscope projector.

This position was seasonal, and I worked for two seasons from May through August 2013, and then again May through October 2014. Hours worked per day varied and were determined by the timing of migrating juvenile and adult salmon.My roles for this position included identifying and handling juvenile smolt and adult Sockeye and Coho Salmon. I worked and lived with one other individual in a remote Alaskan setting and we installed and maintained a smolt fyke net and trap box in the first part of the season to collect, enumerate, and sample Sockeye and Coho Salmon smolts. Sampling included anesthetizing using MS-222, otolith removal, and scale sample collection. Work was generally performed at night and twilight hours when the smolt were migrating the heaviest. Maintenance to the trap included clearing debris from the screens and net, keeping the net anchored in the stream, inspecting the net for any holes or tears, and fixing the destruction from the occasional moose or bear that would wander through the trap site.In the second part of the season, after the smolt had migrated through, my partner and I disassembled the smolt trap and installed a fence weir to trap returning adult salmon, where we would enumerate and identify the Sockeye and Coho. I also took daily river condition data such as temperature, water height, and turbidity measurements and recorded all the data neatly and precisely on paper datasheets. Additional experiences I have gained from this position includes performing several limnological surveys to collect water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, secchi disk and zooplankton samples in the lake upstream of the creek where our trap was set up. I also conducted carcass surveys on the lakeshore to collect snouts and scales from spawned salmon.Lastly, at the end of the season I took part in performing laboratory work analyzing otolith and scales for ageing under a microscope.