Mary Lou Soczek

AB, Sociology, Bryn Mawr College

Past field experience:

Breeding bird surveys of sharp-tailed sparrows on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, Massachusetts (Mass Audubon volunteer)

Thesis research:

Evaluating seabird bycatch in New England commercial fisheries.

New England waters, particularly the Gulf of Maine, are highly utilized and productive fishing grounds. To comply with fishery regulations, the National Marine Fisheries Service collects data on bycatch — the unintentional catch of of non-target fish species and incidental take of marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds in fishing operations. I am analyzing 10 years of seabird bycatch data from their Observer Program for the sink gillnet, otter trawl, scallop dredge, and pelagic longline fisheries. I am evaluating the extent of bycatch in these fisheries and the assessing the impacts of bycatch mortality on pelagic seabirds.

Last Updated: 2/27/12