Presentation/Publication Awards

Saul B. Saila Best Student Paper Award (initiated in 1989) - Best Student Paper award was changed to a $100 award presented at each meeting. A minimum of three committee members or members-at-large judge the papers using the standardized student paper evaluation form from the AFS Education Section. The Professionalism Committee Chair coordinates judging and tallies the scores. If the award is given, the winner is typically announced at the end of the meeting and awarded a check by the Secretary-Treasurer. A congratulatory letter prepared by the Chair of the Professionalism Committee and certificate prepared by the parent society are mailed to award winners.

• 2009 (Winter) Michelle D. Staudinger, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Behavioral interactions between summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) and longfin squid (Loligo pealeii): The influence of relative prey size on predatory behavior and selectivity.”
• 2008 (Summer) Abigail Franklin, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, “A tale of two fishways: Contrasting performance of nature-like fishway designs in coastal New England streams.”
• 2008 (Winter) Benjamin Gahagan, University of Connecticut, “Emigration timing and emigrant characteristics in juvenile anadromous alewife.”
• 2007 (Summer) Richard Bell, University of Rhode Island GSO, "Stock assessment of chambo (Oreochromis sp.) in the southeast arm of Lake Malawi.”
• 2007 (Winter) Brad Harris, University of Massachuestts - Dartmouth, "Mapping surficial substrates and megabenthos along the Northwestern Atlantic continental shelf with underwater video surveys."
• 2006 (Summer) Christopher J. Dixon, University of Connecticut, “Habitat use of state-endangered burbot (Lota lota) in northwestern Connecticut.”
• 2006 (Winter) Amy Aieta, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, "Distribution of the swimbladder parasite Anguillicola crassus in American eels in the Northeastern Atlantic."
• 2005 (Summer) Jason Breves, University of Rhode Island GSO, "Compensatory adaptation in the partial gastrointestinal tract of summer flounder."
• 2005 (Winter) Justin Davis, University of Connecticut, "Population structure and reproductive indices of anadromous alewife in Connecticut: historical and inter-location comparisons."
• 2004 (Summer - tie) Alison Leschen, Boston University/ MBL program, “Fecundity and spawning of the Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphus, in Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.”
• 2004 (Summer - tie) Leah Brown, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, “Three dimensional movement of silver-phase American eels (Anguilla rostrata) within the forebay of a small hydroelectric facility.”
• 2004 (Winter) Debra L. Coglianese, University of Rhode Island, "Perception of the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone by Homarus americanus: localization of steroid receptors and effect on behavior."
• 2003 (Winter) Bradley P. Harris, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, "Growth estimate for the sea scallops in the Nantucket Lightship closed area of George's Bank."
• 2002 (Summer)  David T.Taylor, University of Rhode Island, "Evidence of sand shrimp predation on juvenile winter flounder from three northwestern estuaries."
• 2002 (Winter) David T.Taylor, University of Rhode Island, "Detecting juvenile winter flounder in the stomachs of invertebrate predators with the Ouchterlony double-diffusion immunoassay."
• 2001 (Summer) Frederick Scharf, University of Massachusetts, Amherst: "Susceptibility of juvenile fishes to estuarine piscivores: are all forage species created equal?"
• 2001 (Winter) Jennifer Martin, University of Connecticut: "Early life history of Sillago sihama from the Tanshui estuary, Taiwan as revealed by otolith microstructure and microchemistry."
• 2000 (Winter) Catalina Martinez, University of Rhode Island: "Taking a gander at goosefish livers."
• 1999 (Summer) Christopher Baumann, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Assessing brook trout microhabitat use by mapping physical characteristics of streams - a new methodology."
• 1998 (Winter) Brian Hanrahan, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Estimating bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus thynnus) school size from limited observational data."
• 1997 (Summer) Courtney Stirling Casey, University of Rhode Island: "Length-at-maturity of female summer flounder (Paralichthys denatatus)."
• 1996 (Winter) Kevin Whalen, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Effect of precocial maturation on parr growth and smolting of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) stocked as fry."
• 1996 (Summer) Gabriel Gries, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Individual tagging of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) using acrylic paint injected into the fin rays."
• 1995 (Winter) Keith E. Matiskella, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Gastric evacuation of two common prey types in longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus)."
• 1995 (Summer) Lisa Yako, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Timing and migration: attempting to understand and manage anadromous herring (Alosa pseudoharengus, A. aestivalis). "
• 1994 (Winter) Jarrad Kosa, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Using a computer model to identify effective sampling regimes for outmigrating juvenile river herring."
• 1993-1994 Paul Spencer, University of Rhode Island: "Application of a stochastic predator-prey model to Pacific hake and Pacific herring of Vancouver Island."
• 1992-1993 Ken Sprankle, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Exploitation of striped bass along the Northeast Coast"
• 1991-1992 Barbara Dorf, University of Rhode Island: "Abundance, distribution and habitat characterization of juvenile tautog (Tautog onitis) in Narragansett, Bay."
• 1990-1991 Micah Kieffer, University of Massachusetts-Amherst: "Annual movements of shortnosed and Atlantic sturgeons in the Merrimac River."
• 1989-1990 Mary Carla Curran, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute: "Seasonal and diel changes in oxygen consumption in the cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaum): a preliminary study.

Best Student Poster Award (initiated 2007) - is currently a $50 award presented at each meeting where posters presentations are made. A minimum of three committee members or members-at-large judge the papers using the standardized student paper evaluation form from the AFS Education Section. If the award is given, the winner is typically announced at the end of the meeting and awarded a check by the Secretary-Treasurer. A congratulatory letter prepared by the Chair of the Student Education & Student Presentation Committee and certificate prepared by the parent society are mailed to award winners.

• 2009 (Winter) Joseph T. Szczebak, Roger Williams University, "Life-long mercury accumulation rates of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, in a New England Estuary."
• 2008 (Summer) Joseph T. Szczebak, Roger Williams University, “Mercury bioaccumulation in young-of-the-year fish of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.”
• 2008 (Winter) Ivan Mateo, University of Rhode Island GSO, “Spatial variations in otolith microchemistry for Tautoga onitis in Narragansett Bay.”
• 2007 (Summer) Eric Payne, Roger Williams University, “Variability in the total mercury concentrations of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) in Narragansett Bay, RI."