Jonathan Watson Email & Phone Number

Annapolis, Maryland, United States

I currently work for NOAA Fisheries GARFO. My current job duties include:- Independently review and evaluate potential impacts of coastal and marine development activities on essential fish habitat (EFH) and provide conservation recommendations to avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate impacts of those actions under the authority of the Magnuson Stevenson Act (MSA) and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA).- Work collaboratively with Federal action agencies (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), state agencies, and various interagency working groups to update/revise permitting requirements, propose permit modifications, and develop policies to minimize impacts on coastal fish habitats and ultimately advance strategic habitat conservation priorities.- Represent NOAA Fisheries Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division in various meetings and interagency forums to discuss proposed coastal development activities and policies. - Prepare professional correspondence (e.g., EFH letters, emails, newsletters) for a variety of stakeholders including state in federal agencies. These materials convey the regulatory obligations of NOAA Fisheries and other federal action agencies under the MSA and FWCA along with synthesis of technical scientific information presented for a non-technical audience.-Co-lead the Atlantic Coast River Herring Collaborative Forum with ASMFC Staff in support of efforts to conserve and restore river herring populations coastwide.- Represent NOAA Fisheries on the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Cooperative in support of efforts to restore migratory fish populations in the largest drainage on the US East Coast

Annapolis, Maryland, United States

Marine Habitat Resource Specialist contracted to NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Field Office (GARFO) Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division (HESD). Responsible for Magnuson Stevens Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act consultations in Maryland and the District of Columbia, among other duties.

Annapolis

I conducted aquatic surveys for all species of non-game fish and migratory fish in the non-tidal waters of Maryland as part of the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS). The goal of this program is to assess the biodiversity and condition of the ecological resources in Maryland's rivers and streams. My specific duties also included the collection, analysis, and interpretation of biological data associated with several ongoing projects. I managed aspects of several project simultaneously including the study of recent dam removal in the Patapsco River, stream restoration, fish habitat evaluation standardization, and road salt studies. I was also responsible for managing databases, writing reports, and presenting results to project partners.

I studied the immediate effects of the Penobscot River Restoration Project, a large-scale effort to enhance riverine connectivity, on the fish assemblages of the Penobscot River, Maine by comparing data from pre and post-dam removal electrofishing surveys. I also studied the effect that rebounding Penobscot river herring populations may have on adult Smallmouth Bass diet and growth through diet and otolith analyses and bioenergetics modelling.

Charleston, Sc

I contributed to a variety of monitoring projects for the diadromous fishes found in state waters. I was primarily charged with sturgeon monitoring via acoustic telemetry and gill netting. I taught myself to use program MARK to produce a population estimate of Atlantic sturgeon using a 30 year gill-netting capture-recapture dataset. I also interacted with commercial fishermen as part of monitoring efforts for the commercial American shad fishery. As an hourly technician, I assisted in all aspects of the stock enhancement efforts for red drum, spotted sea trout, and striped bass in the state. I learned about the importance of stocking for the maintenance of ecosystem balance and the mechanisms that fund such operations. I also frequently interacted with the public while stocking in local waterways

Dutch Harbor, Ak

I was charged with collecting unbiased samples of commercial fishing catch which included fish identification, counting, weighing, sex determination, otolith collection, stomach collection, etc. During my time in the observer program, I was assigned to six different vessels, all with different gear types and target species. This allowed me to interact with fishermen with a variety of ambitions and goals. I “met or exceeded” expectations in all evaluation criteria during the NMFS debriefing processes.

Master'S Of Science, Wildife Ecology

Activities and Societies: Student Sub-unit of the American Fisheries Society

Bs, Marine Biology, 3.39