Upcoming Events
MS Thesis Defense - Rachel Wagner Kelmartin - Environmental Science and Policy
Jun 9, 2026, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Potomac Science Center Room 3102 and
virtual on Zoom - register here:
https://tinyurl.com/4m585ayz
MS Thesis
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
College of Science
George Mason University
Candidate: Rachel Wagner Kelmartin
Defense Date and Time: June 9, 2026 at 10:00am
Defense Location: Potomac Science Center Room 3102 and virtual on Zoom
Title: Estimating Catch and Release Mortality of Striped Bass
Thesis Director: Dr. T. Reid Nelson
Committee: Dr. Jennifer Salerno and Dr. Diego Valderrama
ABSTRACT
Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis), a popular Atlantic coast recreational fishery, are currently overfished, with release mortality (CRM) constituting ~50% of recreational removals. Current estimates use a fixed mortality rate that disregards regional and seasonal environmental variation, potentially underestimating mortality during warming summers. Across Spring, Summer, and Fall 2024, we evaluated CRM and its relationship with temperature in a Chesapeake Bay tributary by collecting fish via hook-and-line, tagging with timed-release acoustic transmitters, monitoring for 8 weeks after release, and modeling CRM using a Bayesian multistate capture-recapture approach. Summer showed the highest CRM (11.5%), supporting potential seasonal fishing restrictions.
