Michael Hellmair

Michael Hellmair is a fisheries biologist with broad expertise in statistical modeling techniques, analysis, and sampling design in fisheries research. In California, he has evaluated juvenile and adult salmonid habitat use in Central Valley streams, investigated fish diet composition, and coordinated observational fish abundance surveys. He has also applied molecular techniques such as microsatellite genotyping for genetic stock identification and assessing genetic variation in fish populations. Michael has extensive experience in fisheries field sampling techniques, including electrofishing (backpack and boat), seines, gill nets, traps, long lines, trawls, and mark-recapture techniques (external tags, PIT tags, and chemical/calcein marking). He is also experienced in database management and modeling using the programming language of R.

Michael worked for two years as a fisheries biologist in Austria, where he co-chaired a scientific advisory panel to monitor and regulate an international lake fishery, and assisted with various aspects of hatchery operation, such as broodstock acquisition, spawning, and rearing fish for conservation and fishery supplementation. Michael holds a master’s degree in fisheries biology from Humboldt State University, where his research focused on determining age and growth characteristics of the endangered tidewater goby using otolith microstructural analysis.