About

Mike Allen is a professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Science in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences at the University of Florida. His research has focused on the population dynamics and ecology of fishes, utilizing field studies and computer models to explore population dynamics that support important recreational fisheries. He has evaluated habitat requirements for fish populations and identified fisheries management strategies for recreational fisheries in lakes, reservoirs, and marine environments. His research program evaluates fish population and community responses to changes in fishing mortality, habitat, and species interactions, often employing empirical field studies, computer simulation modeling, and pond experiments. Allen has contributed to understanding the efficacy of management strategies aimed at improving and sustaining fisheries, with a particular emphasis on species such as largemouth bass, crappie, and other freshwater fish species.

Research topics

• Biology
• Geography
• Ecology
• Fishery
• Political Science
• Mathematics
• Business
• Demography
• Public relations
• Economics
• Environmental planning
• Environmental science
• Statistics
• Environmental resource management

Selected publications

• Ecology for Understanding Recreational Fishers and Fisheries

  Fish & fisheries series/Fish and fisheries series (Print) · 2025-12-14 · 5 citations

  book-chapterOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract We examine recreational fisher behaviour and recreational fishery systems through the lens of an ecologist to understand the dynamical properties of these social-ecological systems. From the perspective of an ecologist, recreational fishers and the fish they capture can be viewed as analogous to predator-prey systems. Our understanding of predator-prey interactions is supported by a richness of empirical and conceptual research, primarily developed within sub-fields of behavioural, population, and community ecology. We develop this analogy between predator-prey ecology and fisher behaviour by examining the key underlying processes within a conceptual framework based on simple models. We then characterize several processes inherent to recreational fisheries that can, at least in part, decouple these simple predator-prey interactions. We examine the impacts on fisher behaviour and fishery outcomes of non-random spatial distributions of fishers and fish, heterogeneity of fisher behaviour, and multi-species fisheries, and develop an enhanced framework to understand these dynamic interactions. Population ecology and density-dependent feedbacks are important concepts underlying fish population dynamics, and also set limits to the sustainability of fisher harvest. Predator-prey theory is helpful in understanding fisher behaviour and its feedback with fish production, fishery quality, and sustainability. As fishers often prefer larger sizes in their catch, the predator-prey dynamic involves ecological concepts related to life-history theory and size-structured interactions. Although some recreational fisheries target a single species, many involve multi-species fisheries, such that food web theory is also important in understanding ecological feedbacks between fisher behaviour and fishery outcomes. In addition, individual recreational fisheries are typically embedded within landscapes of alternative fisheries, so the spatial configuration of fishing opportunities and the spatial behaviour of fishers is central in understanding fishery outcomes across landscapes. We discuss field methods used to measure fisher behaviour and provide empirical examples from well-studied recreational fisheries. Field methods to measure catchability, catch-per-unit effort, and landscape distribution of fisher effort are informed by the ecological theory of functional and numerical responses. Methods and implications of catch-and-release behaviour, multi-species fisheries, and non-catch related fisher site choice are discussed as related to our understanding of fisher behaviour and fisheries outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluating fisheries-independent annual recruitment indices for Spotted Seatrout in two Florida estuaries

  North American Journal of Fisheries Management · 2025-10-03

  articleSenior author

  ABSTRACT Objective The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fisheries-Independent Monitoring Program utilizes young-of-the-year indices of abundance (IOAs) for Spotted Seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus as an index of recruitment to inform stock assessment and management decisions. However, it is unclear how well IOAs represent recruitment to the fishery. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of fisheries-independent monitoring IOAs to represent strong and weak year-classes for Spotted Seatrout. Methods We compared residuals from recruitment IOAs to catch-curve residuals for Spotted Seatrout harvested by recreational anglers in two Florida estuaries, Cedar Key and Tampa Bay. The IOAs were standardized using a delta generalized linear model to control for effects of month and localized factors at each sampling site. Spotted Seatrout used in catch-curve regressions were sampled from each estuary as two independent case studies. Results We found a positive correlation—Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.798—between catch-curve residuals and IOA recruitment residuals for the Cedar Key population. The Tampa Bay population was not a good candidate for this analysis because catch-curve residual sum of squares was relatively low, indicating weak annual variation in recruitment during the sample period. Conclusions Our results indicated that Spotted Seatrout IOAs derived from the Fisheries-Independent Monitoring Program are an accurate method for indexing year-class strength if recruitment variability is relatively high, but less variable recruitment prevented assessment of year-class strength in Tampa Bay. These results suggested that the IOAs would be expected to track strong and weak year-classes into the adult population, which is important for setting short-term harvest and catch expectations. Additionally, this study demonstrated how to incorporate charter captains in fisheries research that can inform monitoring and management programs.

  PublisherDOI

• A sport fish on the brink: Striped Bass in the Ochlockonee River drainage, Florida

  North American Journal of Fisheries Management · 2025-02-01

  articleSenior author

  ABSTRACT Objective Lake Talquin and its tailrace located below the Jackson Bluff Dam provide a popular Striped Bass Morone saxatilis fishery in the Florida panhandle. The system also serves as an important broodfish repository for hatchery programs participating in Striped Bass restoration efforts throughout their Gulf of Mexico range. In recent years, larger Striped Bass required for spawning purposes have become increasingly rare. We sought to understand the underlying causes behind the reduction of larger size-classes. Methods Water temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations of creeks used as thermal refuge in Lake Talquin were measured during the summer of 2020 to evaluate summer habitat quality. A total of 201 Striped Bass were tagged with high-dollar-reward dart tags in Lake Talquin and below the Jackson Bluff Dam from December 2020 to February 2021 to investigate angling exploitation. An age sample was collected from December 2021 to January 2022 to examine population structure. Results Marginal thermal and dissolved oxygen refuge exists for adult Striped Bass in Lake Talquin, and this refuge appears to be transitory in space and time. Annual exploitation was 25%, and there was evidence of substantial population connectivity between Lake Talquin and the lower Ochlockonee River via dam escapement. Exploitation was focused below the dam and limited to two cohorts of fish, and the harvest rate was greater for fish of larger sizes. The age sample showed that Striped Bass in Lake Talquin appear to be growing rapidly until age 3 before experiencing high levels of mortality. Conclusions Marginal summer habitat is likely contributing to high levels of natural mortality and the reduction of larger size-classes. The truncated age structure is likely to degrade further if conditions worsen. This directed research indicated that changes in the management strategies were warranted to conserve this population in the wake of a changing climate.

  PublisherDOI

• Live-imaging sonar use in Texas crappie fisheries: Examining population-level responses due to potential increases in exploitation

  Fisheries · 2025-01-22 · 5 citations

  articleSenior author

  ABSTRACT The use of live-imaging sonar (LIS) has surged in popularity among anglers in recent years, especially those targeting crappie Pomoxis spp. With LIS, anglers have perceived an increase in catchability of crappie and concerns have been raised about the resilience of crappie populations. As an attempt to provide information in response to these concerns, our study addressed the potential for LIS to increase angler catch rates and exploitation rates, with implications for potential overfishing. Using creel survey data collected on three regionally significant crappie fisheries, we subset creel estimations by LIS use (i.e., users and nonusers) for anglers targeting crappie. Users caught and harvested crappie at significantly higher rates than nonusers. Results suggest that LIS use has the potential to increase overall exploitation rates among the study reservoirs. Although exploitation may increase, we found that the potential for overfishing was minimal, given fishing mortality estimates as high as 79% and a 254-mm minimum length limit. Our study provides a baseline evaluation of current LIS use within popular crappie fisheries while showcasing how increasing fishing mortality could affect the sustainability of crappie populations across a range of growth and exploitation scenarios.

  PublisherDOI

• Ecological and Economic Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on Coastal Food Webs and Fisheries project SWAT-MODFLOW model of the Suwannee River

  HydroShare Resources · 2024-11-12

  datasetOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Model instances for land use and climate scenarios of Ecological and Economic Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on Coastal Food Webs and Fisheries project

  HydroShare Resources · 2024-12-31

  datasetOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Density- and size-dependent mechanisms modulate the outcome of stocking in a naturally recruiting freshwater piscivore (northern pike, Esox lucius): A replicated whole-lake experiment

  Fisheries Research · 2023-08-20 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Quantifying uncertainty in coastal salinity regime for biological application using quantile regression

  Ecosphere · 2023-04-01 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Salinity regimes in coastal ecosystems are highly dynamic and driven by complex geomorphic and hydrological processes. Estuarine biota are generally adapted to salinity fluctuation, but are vulnerable to salinity extremes. Characterizing coastal salinity regime for ecological studies therefore requires representing extremes of salinity ranges at time scales relevant to ecology (e.g., daily, monthly, and seasonally). Here, we propose a framework for modeling coastal salinity with these overall goals: (1) quantify uncertainty in salinity associated with important terrestrial and oceanographic drivers, (2) examine time scales of salinity response to river streamflow events, and (3) predict salinity continuously over space at key time scales. Salinity is modeled as quantile surfaces related to river discharge, tidal dynamics, wind, and spatial location, applied to Suwannee Sound estuary, FL, USA, where salinity has been monitored spatially since 1981. Each quantile level is regressed independently, and together they comprise a distribution of salinity uncertainty across space, with upper and lower quantiles describing salinity extremes. Effects of physical drivers on salinity are compared through four base models with various combinations of tide and wind variables, each including spatial coordinates and a single streamflow metric (in cubic meters per second). Multiple time scales of streamflow are considered by taking means across various periods, from 1 to 12 days, and at various lagged intervals prior to salinity sample, totaling 144 streamflow metrics. We found that the Suwannee coastal salinity regime is dynamic at multiple time scales and varies nonlinearly across space from the river effluence outward. Salinity increases nonlinearly with decreasing river flow rates below 200 m 3 /s, most prominently in the lower quantiles of salinity (τ = 0.05–0.25). Wind appears to have a stronger influence on salinity than astronomic tides for this estuary. The regression approach developed here can be applied to any coastal system that has sufficient spatial and temporal monitoring coverage to capture multiple flood and drought events. It is implemented with a simple R routine, and is less computationally‐intensive than finite difference hydrodynamic modeling. The characterizations of salinity uncertainty developed in these analyses can be directly applied to future studies of fish and wildlife responses to changes in watershed management.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Restore the shore: online STEM engagement impacts on youths’ conceptualizations of living shorelines and connection to water

  Applied Environmental Education & Communication · 2023-10-02 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  Virtual reality (VR) and electronic field trips (EFT) can introduce youth to natural environments, climate change mitigation strategies, and related STEM careers. We developed a VR and EFT outreach program featuring scientists working on living shorelines for coastal restoration as a response to sea-level rise and examined the program's impacts on youth through survey and arts-based methods. We found that: a) VR and EFTs proved to be effective for increasing participants' connection to water, shoreline conservation, and STEM careers and b) arts-based methods can be used to examine participants' sense of place but could be strengthened to emphasize human-environment connection.

  PublisherDOI

• The bioeconomic paradox of market-based invasive species harvest: a case study of the commercial lionfish fishery

  Biological Invasions · 2023-02-20 · 17 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Robert Ahrens

  NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

  25 shared

• Robert Arlinghaus

  Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

  16 shared

• Mark W. Rogers

  University of Maryland, Baltimore

  15 shared

• Matthew J. Catalano

  Auburn University

  14 shared

• L. E. Miranda

  United States Geological Survey

  12 shared

• David Chagaris

  11 shared

• Daniel C. Gwinn

  Australia Bioinformatics Resource

  10 shared

• William E. Pine

  University of Florida

  10 shared

Labs

• Fisheries & Aquatic SciencesPI