- Division of Marine Fisheries
Comings
We welcomed the return of Wayne Castonguay to DMF this past February, filling the role of the north shore Regional Shellfish Program Supervisor working out of the Gloucester office. Wayne worked within the Shellfish Program as a bacteriologist during 1988–1998, before working for The Trustees of Reservation for 14 years and then becoming the Executive Director of The Ipswich River Watershed Association for the past 12 years. Wayne is an accomplished leader who will bringing his skills to oversee all Shellfish Program operations out of the Newburyport depuration plant and Gloucester office, including the two shellfish laboratories.
Jacob “Jack” Wilson joined the Resource Assessment Project this April, working out of the New Bedford Office. A University of Rhode Island graduate, Jack had been a contractor working with the NOAA Cooperative Research Branch for the last five years, where his primary duties included acting as survey chief and providing technical assistance with the bottom long line survey as well as working with the commercial fishing industry on various collaborative projects. Jack also served as an at-sea observer and later an observer trainer for five years.
DMF welcomed Jillian Swinford to the Invertebrate Fisheries Project this past May. Jillian will be working out of the New Bedford Office on all aspects of the lobster Ventless Trap Survey, assisting with various other lobster-related work and data analyses, and contributing to all of the Program’s other field sampling efforts. Jillian comes to DMF after several years with Texas Parks & Wildlife where she worked as a fisheries biologist implementing a number of applied research projects for various fish and shrimp species. She has a master’s degree from Christopher Newport University in Virginia.
Laura Tomlinson was hired into a full-time position with the Invertebrate Fisheries Project this past April after serving as a seasonal fisheries technician for the project the last year. She has a marine biology degree from the University of Maine and worked previously while at U Maine with early benthic phase lobster settlement collectors. Laura will be based out of the New Bedford Office. Welcome aboard, Laura!
Mitchell Parizek joined DMF in March as a Shellfish Classification Biologist. He will plan and conduct field investigations leading to the classification of shellfish growing areas, including collection and interpretation of water quality data, shoreline surveys to identify contamination sources, and sanitary surveys in support of classification decisions. Mitchell graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2023 with a B.S. in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science. He spent two seasons with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management as a student researcher working with brook trout, river herring, and American eels and most recently was a hatchery technician for the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography.
Emma Gallagher joined DMF in March as a Shellfish Classification Biologist. She will plan and conduct field investigations leading to the classification of shellfish growing areas, including collection and interpretation of water quality data, shoreline surveys to identify contamination sources, and sanitary surveys in support of classification decisions. Emma graduated from UMass SMAST in 2023 with an M.S. in Living Marine Resources where she focused on harmful algal blooms in Nasketucket Bay. Most recently, she spent two years with DMF as a contracted Environmental Review Assistant for the Habitat Project before joining the Shellfish Program as a fulltime employee.
In March, Michael Burgess joined the ranks of DMF as a diadromous fisheries biologist. Mike recently earned his Master of Science at the University of Connecticut, where his thesis focused on the conservation and restoration of river herring populations through studying and understanding juvenile out-migration dynamics, particularly in relation to the effect of drought on juvenile growth and body condition among different juvenile nursery sites which differed in size, food availability, and adult run densities. He also set out to monitor juvenile alewife out-migration timing through the use of time-lapse photography.
Goings
In late 2023, Rachel Vollemans parted ways with DMF to take on a middle school teaching position in Florida. She had been working since early 2021 on the Invertebrate Fisheries Program as a field biologist and diver for the team, primarily focused on lobster work. We wish Rachel all the best with her new undertaking!
DMF wished Vincent Manfredi a fond farewell this past January, as he embarked on a new opportunity with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Waterways Program, working on navigational dredging and coastal construction permit review, issuance and enforcement within their Southeast Region. After starting as a contractor in DMF’s Conservation Engineering Project in 2001 and a two-year stint with the state of Maine working on the ME/NH trawl survey, Vinny returned to DMF and dedicated his next 20 years to the successful operation of the Division’s Resource Assessment Project. Vinny’s mark will long be left on the Division, especially as it relates to his spearheading of major technological improvements to survey operations. His eagerness to assist others on projects throughout DMF, as well as his humor, culinary skills, institutional knowledge, and species identification prowess will be missed.
Julia Kaplan, DMF’s Communications Specialist for the past four years, departed the Division in April for a new position with National Grid as a Senior Specialist for Stakeholder Engagement. During her time with us, Julia effectively maintained and enhanced DMF’s internal and external communications, and supported many Division activities including the adjudicatory hearings process, meetings of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission and other advisory panels, and public hearings. Among Julia’s strengths was her ability and willingness to tackle and make meaningful contributions to various ad hoc projects that she helped get past the finish line during her tenure.
John Mendes retired from DMF’s Shellfish Sanitation and Management Program in April after over 45 years of public service. John began his career with the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering (now DEP) where he first started working on water quality monitoring, pollution source assessment, oil spill response and marine biotoxin monitoring. In 1988, DMF absorbed the Shellfish Sanitation Program from DEQE and fortunately for DMF, John came over with the program. In his role with DMF John continued his water quality monitoring duties and was instrumental in implementing the newly established federal standards for classifying coastal waters in the Commonwealth for shellfish harvesting. Over his 36 plus years with DMF, John has been the consummate team player, always willing to help out with any and all projects. His unique ability to get along with everyone made him a true asset in communicating with the wide array of interest groups that DMF serves, from local government officials and environmental groups to shellfish industry members at all levels. In recent years the shellfish team has leaned heavily on John to train our many new employees in safe boating and trailering skills, which he has always done with a smile and many a good story to tell. John will be truly missed by all at DMF, especially the shellfish crew.
In February, DMF wished Kaley Towns good luck on her future endeavors as an Environmental Analyst with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in their PFAS Program. Kaley joined the Division’s Shellfish Program as a biologist in 2020, supporting classification of shellfish growing areas, including collection and interpretation of water quality data, shoreline surveys to identify contamination sources, and sanitary surveys in support of classification decisions. Kaley was a true team player always willing to help her co-workers with anything from sampling to reports and notices to GIS and tech support.
Maggie Leary bid adieu to the Division in January to join the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection as an Environmental Analyst in their Wastewater Program. As a Shellfish Classification Area Biologist, Maggie supporting classification of shellfish growing areas, including collection and interpretation of water quality data, shoreline surveys to identify contamination sources, and sanitary surveys in support of classification decisions. We wish Maggie good luck in her future role with the Commonwealth.
Conor Byrne, the Division’s Depuration Program Coordinator for the Newburyport facility left the agency for the private sector in February after four years with the Shellfish Program. Conor oversaw the labor staff at the plant, managing their daily schedule as well as receiving and releasing shellfish to Master Diggers and wholesale dealers. We wish Conor well as he pursues other opportunities.
In April, Peter Kimball retired from the Shellfish Program where he helped facilitate depuration operations at the Newburyport Shellfish Depuration Plant for the past 25 years. We wish Pete a long and happy retirement.
In June, Dr. Justin Bopp left DMF for a new position with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, as an aquatic invasive species fisheries biologist. Justin served as DMF's Offshore Wind Specialist for the past year helping drive solutions to promote the long-term coexistence of the offshore wind and fishing industries. His passion for conservation and resource management was reflected by the leadership roles he was increasingly taking on for numerous related committees. We wish him well in his new role.
Staff Transitions
In January, Brendan Reilly continued his growth within the Division by transitioning from Invertebrate Fisheries Project biologist to the role of Protected Species Gear Specialist. In February, Dr. Chrissy Petitpas was promoted to DMF’s management team as our new Assistant Deputy Director of Shellfish, bringing with her over 15 years of experience across multiple Division projects including habitat, aquaculture, and shellfish. Also in February, Elise Koob, was hired into DMF’s Stock Assessment Specialist position, having shown her promise first in the Age and Growth Project and later in the Fisheries Research and Monitoring Project. In June, bacteriologist Jacob Madden was promoted to lead the Division’s north shore shellfish laboratories in Gloucester and Newburyport.
