About

Andy J. Danylchuk is a Professor of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in Organismic & Evolutionary Biology. His research focuses on understanding the factors that naturally influence the life history and ecology of fishes and other aquatic organisms, as well as how natural and anthropogenic disturbances can impact their populations. His work encompasses both marine and freshwater systems and includes areas such as stress physiology, behavioral ecology, spatial ecology, predator-prey interactions, and adaptations in life history traits in response to disturbance. Much of Dr. Danylchuk’s research evaluates the potential impacts of recreational angling on fish populations and involves collaboration with stakeholder groups to develop best practices for the recreational angling community. He employs telemetry and emerging technologies to study how fish function under normal and disturbed conditions, combining laboratory and field manipulations to identify specific mechanistic causes of stress in fish. Additionally, he is interested in sustainable aquaculture and the development of integrated food production models aimed at reducing impacts on fish stocks and ecosystems at various scales. Dr. Danylchuk is also a strong advocate for experiential, hands-on learning opportunities that enhance educational experiences for students of all ages.

Research topics

• Fishery
• Biology
• Political Science
• Ecology
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental planning
• Geography
• Computer Science
• Business
• Economics
• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Natural resource economics
• Surgery
• Physiology
• Public relations
• Marketing

Selected publications

• Locomotor activity patterns of permit Trachinotus falcatus as an indicator of habitat function in the Florida Keys, USA

  Marine Ecology Progress Series · 2026-01-21

  article

  Understanding the functional role of habitats to wild animals can aid in implementing management actions to protect critical habitat from anthropogenic threats. However, habitat function is challenging to measure across extensive space and time, particularly in marine systems. We used acoustic telemetry tags equipped with tri-axial accelerometer sensors to track the movement and locomotor activity of permit Trachinotus falcatus in coastal marine habitats of the Florida Keys (USA) so that we could remotely characterize their behavioural ecology and infer habitat function. Recent research in this system explored space use by permits and identified shallow seagrass flats and offshore reefs and wrecks as important foraging and spawning habitats, respectively. Predictive models applied here identified variation in permit activity patterns across a diversity of spatial (i.e. habitat type and site) and temporal (e.g. time of day, lunar phase) factors as well as complex interactions. Based on known permit behavioural ecology, peaks in activity in the late afternoon to evening at putative spawning sites were used to infer the spatial-temporal dynamics of likely spawning activity. This spawning signature was observed at 8 offshore reef locations, with considerable seasonal variation amongst sites. Timing of spawning may therefore vary among sites, while the functional role of some sites likely extends beyond spawning (e.g. staging, foraging). These data provide insights into permit spawning sites and behaviour and highlight the potential for acoustic telemetry equipped with acceleration sensors to generate knowledge relevant to habitat and fisheries management.

  PublisherDOI

• Perceptions and beliefs of recreational anglers about Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii) fishing in Victoria, Australia: A path to enhancing education and outreach

  Fisheries Research · 2026-04-02

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Characterizing a century of shark depredation in US Atlantic recreational fisheries

  ICES Journal of Marine Science · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Shark depredation on target species in US Atlantic recreational fisheries is a growing source of human-wildlife conflict. Efforts to mitigate this conflict require an understanding of how its three principal components—anglers, fisheries, and sharks—have evolved over time. Through a historical perspective, we offer a conceptual framework that characterizes the dynamics of these components in the context of complex management systems for the affected fisheries. Specifically, we integrated observations of shark depredation from the published literature, angler surveys, and social media content to provide a comprehensive overview of the breadth of shark depredation in recreational fisheries in US Atlantic waters from Maine to Texas, and the US Caribbean. This exercise revealed that shark depredation is widespread, with 207 unique target-depredator connections (at least 51 target species impacted by 22 shark depredators). The most prevalent shark depredators included both authorized species that may be harvested (e.g. bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas) and prohibited species that may not (e.g. sandbar sharks C. plumbeus). This broad characterization further clarifies the actors (anglers, fisheries, sharks, and managers) that should be considered in ongoing efforts to establish valid shark depredation solutions, evaluates mitigation options given US regulatory constraints, and identifies priorities for future research.

  PublisherDOI

• The importance of engaging the hook-and-line fishing industry in fisheries research

  Fisheries Research · 2026-04-10

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A field study combining biotelemetry and biologging to determine how long the behaviour of fish is impacted by catch-and-release angling

  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · 2026-05-19

  article

  Assessing the behaviour of fish in the wild is challenging given the lack of relevant “controls” to assess recovery following capture. Our aim was to assess how long it takes largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) and northern pike (Esox lucius) equipped with pop-off biologgers to resume normal behaviour (i.e., return to baseline movement and exploration activity) once released. Both species were equipped with acoustic transmitters in a whole-lake positioning system to model their movement patterns and behaviour. We recaptured those same individuals at a minimum of 37d later and affixed pop-off biologgers that recorded acceleration and depth allowing us to combine data from two technologies to assess the post-release behaviour of the fish. In 20–28.5C water temperatures, it took largemouth bass equipped with biologgers 129h (95% CI: 106-149h) to resume normal movement and 154h (103-195h) for exploration activity. Northern pike equipped with pop-off biologgers took 145h (110-174h) to resume normal movement activity. Exploratory behaviour of northern pike was not influenced. These results reveal that catch-and-release angling can yield post-release behavioural consequences for up to 7d.

  PublisherDOI

• Hooking injury, physiological stress, and post-release activity patterns of giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) captured using spinning gear in a catch-and-release recreational fishery

  Environmental Biology of Fishes · 2026-02-16

  article1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Evaluating hook removal techniques on jaw-hooked Smallmouth Bass captured with soft plastic jigs

  North American Journal of Fisheries Management · 2025-04-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Objective Products that are intended to facilitate the release of angled fish continue to be developed by the fishing industry without systematic and objective evaluation to test their effectiveness for releasing fish without causing undue harm. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of dehooking methods (i.e., removing the hook with bare hands, pliers, or a mechanical dehooking device) while either holding the fish in air by the lower mandible or without touching the fish. Methods We captured 131 Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu by using barbed Ned rigs (single-hook, soft plastic jig-style lures) and assessed the duration of time needed to remove the hook, the extent of physical injury caused by the hook removal method, and the extent of reflex impairment of the fish. Results Unhooking time was influenced by hook removal method and fish length. Physical injury was also influenced by the unhooking method; the use of pliers while holding the fish by the lower mandible resulted in no observed injuries compared to all other dehooking methods, which resulted in some proportion of fish being injured. Longer unhooking time increased reflex impairment. The traditional method of holding the lower mandible of black bass yielded faster dehooking times and fewer injuries irrespective of hook removal method, but the use of hands proved to be the fastest method. Conclusions Our research suggested that an alternative method of touchless dehooking and the use of a mechanical dehooking tool were not effective when releasing shallow-hooked Smallmouth Bass. Our findings also suggested that gripping the fish by the lower mandible and using hands constituted the most effective hook removal approach for Smallmouth Bass in the context studied here.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• On the behavior of Fish Released Following Fisheries Capture: Methods, Endpoints, and Consequences

  Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture · 2025-06-18

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Points of consensus on catch-and-release: Considerations for science, ethics, and fisheries management

  Fisheries · 2025-03-05 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Occurrence and movement patterns of juvenile Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in the Península de Guanahacabibes Biosphere Reserve, Cuba

  Environmental Biology of Fishes · 2025-07-03 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Steven J. Cooke

  Carleton University

  221 shared

• Cory D. Suski

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  86 shared

• Jacob W. Brownscombe

  Fisheries and Oceans Canada

  81 shared

• Karen J. Murchie

  Shedd Aquarium

  54 shared

• Aaron J. Adams

  Bonefish and Tarpon Trust

  52 shared

• Robert J. Lennox

  Dalhousie University

  50 shared

• Tony L. Goldberg

  University of Wisconsin Health

  46 shared

• Lucas P. Griffin

  University of Massachusetts Amherst

  43 shared

Education

• B.S.

  Trent University

  1990

• M.S.

  University of Alberta

  1993

• Ph.D.

  University of Alberta

  2003