Maddie Tomczak

Maddie Tomczak is the CIGLR Food Web Laboratory Analyst working under the supervision of Casey Godwin, PhD and collaborating with Ed Rutherford (PhD, NOAA GLERL) and Doran Mason (PhD, NOAA GLERL) on larval fish and food web dynamics, as well as processing fisheries acoustic data. Maddie works closely with the NOAA GLERL Spatial Studies team, specializing in larval fish identification and analysis, including otolith and diet analyses. She is also working on designing and maintaining databases for lower food web and other data collected as part of long-term and short-term monitoring projects. Maddie recently completed her Masters of Science in Biology at Western Illinois University in 2020 where she investigated the hatch timing and growth of larval fishes in the Mississippi River. Before CIGLR, Maddie worked for the US Geological Survey on the early life history of fish in the St. Clair Detroit River System.

Education:

• M.S. in Biology, Western Illinois University, July 2020
• B.S. in Environmental Science, University of Toledo, May 2018

Research Interest/Area of Expertise:

• Larval Fish 
• Great Lakes Food Web Dynamics

Publications:

Tomczak, M.G., DeBruyne, R., Schmidt, B., Bowser, D., Fischer, J., Kennedy, G., King, N., Mayer, C., Roseman, E. (In Press). Experimental Assessment of Egg Mat Gear Retention and Collection Efficacy. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management.

La Hood, B.M., Thomsen, T.C., Lenaerts, A.W., Tomczak, M.G., Szott, E.A., Woiak, Z., Von Ruden, K.M., Bockrath, K.D., Irons, K.S., Lamer, J.T. 2021. Light trapping reveals multiple bigheaded carp spawns upstream of Lock and Dam 19 in the upper Mississippi River. The North American Journal of Fisheries Management. (DOI:10.1002/nafm.10630). 

Tomczak, M.G. (2020). Age, Growth, and Emergence of Larval Fishes in the Upper Mississippi River (Master’s Thesis, Western Illinois University).

Tomczak, M.G., Thomsen, T., Lamer, J. 2018-2020. Larval Asian Carp Detection in the Upper Mississippi River (Pools 17-19). Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual reports submitted to the Upper Mississippi River Asian Carp Partnership. Editor.

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Presentations:

Tomczak, M., Rutherford, E., Mason, D., Rowe, M., Alsip, P., Glyshaw, P., Lugten, E., Truong, H., Algayer, T., Chaganti, R., Vanderbilt, L., Ruberg, S., Rosier, K., Miller, R. 2024. Coordinating Technology and Transport Modeling Modeling Improves Understanding of Larval Alewife Growth and Distribution in Southeast Lake Michigan. Annual Larval Fish Conference, May 12-16, 2024. Huron, Ohio. 

Tomczak, M., Zhang, Y., Adlerstein Gonzalez, S., Wells, D., Vanderploeg, H., Cavaletto, J., Glyshaw, P., Mason, D., Lewandowski, K., Rutherford, E. 2023. Effects of the Spring Thermal Bar on Water Quality, Density, and Distribution of Plankton and Fish Larvae in Lake Michigan. National American Fisheries Society Conference, August 20-24, 2023. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Tomczak, M., Jones, D., Adams, E., Calappi, T., DeBruyne, R., Roseman, E. Stranded: A Day in the Life of Fish After Flow Reduction in the St. Marys River Rapids. Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference.Des Moines, Iowa. (Virtual) February 13-16, 2022. (Poster)

All Presentations