- Division of Marine Fisheries
Comings
Two people have recently joined DMF’s efforts to monitor marine species important to our work through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Cara Rankin started in June in our New Bedford office as a Protected Species Acoustician. In her role, Cara will help process PAM data and develop science to inform effective protected species management. Cara completed her master's degree with the University of Manitoba, where her research focused on using passive acoustic monitoring to understand sound propagation in estuaries. John Clark (not pictured) recently joined the Invertebrate Fisheries Program out of the New Bedford office. He will be working on acoustic telemetry studies to better understand mortality rates of bled horseshoe crabs and discard mortality rates of horseshoe crabs caught by dragger fishers. John received his master’s degree from UMass Dartmouth SMAST. He has also worked for the town of Falmouth’s Marine and Environmental Services and taught at Mass Maritime. Welcome Cara and John!
Goings
In June, we said goodbye to Manali Rege-Colt. Manali joined DMF’s Protected Species Program as a Protected Species Acoustician in December 2024. During her time with the agency, she helped launch DMF’s first passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) network to listen for whales, and particularly North Atlantic right whales, near Massachusetts coasts. We wish her well as she moves back to the west coast for a new opportunity!
Staff Transitions
Kiera Lawlor recently transitioned to her new role as DMF’s Procurement Specialist after three years working with the Vessel Tracking Program. She brings experience assisting with budgeting, working with procurement systems, auditing vendor invoices, and more. We’re excited for her to continue her growth within the Division!
