Integrating Traditional Knowledge and Ecological Research to Guide Fisheries Management

Student Researchers

Micah Dill '26, Major: Conservation; Major: Philosophy (2024)

Elena McCullough '25, Major: Integrative Conservation (2024)

Luke Sahli '26, Major: Integrative Conservation (2024)

Emily Johnson '24, Major: Anthropology, Major: Environment and Sustainability (2023)

Malvika Shrimali '24, Major: Environmental Science, Major: Hispanic Studies (2022)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Mara Dicenta

Project Description

River herring hold important cultural, economic, and ecological value in the Rappahannock River Watershed, but their numbers have declined by over 90% due to overfishing, construction of dams, environmental and climate change, and other impacts. Today, increasing interest in restoring river herring populations is sparked by the removal of Embrey Dam, which made the Rappahannock the longest free-flowing river in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. However, there is a lack of detailed information on historical conditions, fisheries, cultural values, and ecosystem services needed to ensure conservation planning considers the perspectives and knowledge of the local communities and aligns with their goals.

As part of an ongoing collaboration between W&M and Smithsonian's Working Land and Seascapes Program, W&M students complied and shared oral histories of local communities to build informed cultural and economic baselines for river herring in the Rappahannock River to inform conservation and management. The student-led research is published on a website hosting the oral histories of fishing communities.

Project ID - Format

22-013-22 - CRP Year

22-013-23 - CRP Year

22-013-24 - CRP Year