Elizabeth A. Fairchild

B.A., Zoology and Spanish, UNH (1991)
M.S., Zoology, UNH (1998)
Ph.D., Zoology, UNH (2002)

Department of Zoology
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824, USA
603-285-1822
elizabeth.fairchild@unh.edu

Although, winter flounder support signficant recreational and commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Maine, stocks have delined precipitously in the past two decades. This decline mainly has been attributed to overfishing. While there are now stringent fishing regulations in place to help rebuild the stocks, it still could take many years for them to reach their historic levels. It is possible that stock enhancement could expedite this recovery.

The goal of my research is to initiate an investigation to determine if it is possible to stock winter flounder successfully in New Hampshire. Because the planning of any new enhancement program is so complex and multi-disciplinary, I have chosen to focus on only one area - developing optimal release strategies for a winter flounder enhancement effort.

My research is conducted both in the laboratory and in the field. Each year I collect a wild broodstock, spawn them in the lab, and raise the offspring. Experiments begin when the progeny reach the juvenile stage. Questions that I am investigating are:

• What size winter flounder should be released in an enhancement program?
• Where should releases occur?
• When should releases occur?
• How "fit" are the cultured fish?
• Are the cultured fish more vulnerable to predation than wild fish?
• What pre-release conditioning do the cultured fish require?
• What tags are best for the juvenile fish?

Recent Scientific Presentations

• Fairchild, E.A., W.H. Howell, and N. Rennels. 2007. A decade of research: current status of the winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus stock enhancement program. Aquaculture 2007. The annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, February 26 - March 2, 2007, San Antonio, TX. (session co-organizer and moderator)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., J. Sulikowski, N. Rennels, W.H. Howell, and C. Gurshin. 2006. Where and why winter flounder are found: observations from a summer field study in the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary, NH. Tenth Flatfish Biology Conference. November 29-30, 2006, Westbrook, CT.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., N. Rennels, W.H. Howell, and S. Biron. 2006. Post-release mortality due to predation: a case study of winter flounder and green crabs. The Third International Symposium on Stock Enhancement and Sea Ranching. September 18-21, 2006, Seattle, WA. (invited speaker)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., W.H. Howell, N. Rennels, and S. Biron. 2006. Using telemetry to compare movements and habitat use of cultured and wild juvenile winter flounder. The annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society. September 11-14, 2006, Lake Placid, NY. (invited speaker)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., N. Rennels, W.H. Howell, and S. Biron. 2006. The use of acclimation cages at the release site: implications for winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus stock enhancement. Aqua 2006. The annual meeting of the European Aquaculture Society. May 9-13, 2006, Florence, Italy. (invited speaker and session co-moderator)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., N. Rennels, W.H. Howell, and S. Biron. 2006. Using telemetry to understand cultured and wild juvenile winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus movements and habitat use. Aqua 2006. The annual meeting of the European Aquaculture Society. May 9-13, 2006, Florence, Italy. (invited speaker and session co-moderator)
  
  
• Howell, W.H., E.A. Fairchild, and N. Rennels. 2005. Skewed sex ratios in cultured winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus: implications for stock enhancement. Aqua 2005. The annual meeting of the European Aquaculture Society. August 5-9, 2005, Trondheim, Norway.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., W.H. Howell, J. Sulikowski, and N. Rennels. 2005. The winter flounder gender bender: what are we culturing? Aquaculture America 2005. The annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, January 17-20, 2005, New Orleans, LA.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., W.H. Howell, J. Sulikowski, and N. Rennels. 2004. The winter flounder gender bender: what are we culturing? Ninth Flatfish Biology Conference. December 1-2, 2004, Westbrook, CT.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2004. Winter flounder stock enhancement: deficits in cultured fish. Nature and Culture: Comparative Biology and Interactions of Wild and Farmed Fish. The Fisheries Society of the British Isles Annual International Symposium. July 19-23, 2004, London, England.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., J. Sulikowski, W.H. Howell, and N. Rennels. 2004. Pilot-scale release of cultured, juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus into the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary, New Hampshire. Aquaculture 2004. The annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, March 1-5, 2004, Honolulu, HI.
  
  
• Sulikowski, J.A., E.A. Fairchild, N. Rennels, and W.H. Howell. 2004. The effects of tagging and transport stress on juvenile winter flounder. Pseudopleuronectes americanus: implications for successful stock enhancement. Aquaculture 2004. The annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, March 1-5, 2004, Honolulu, HI.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2003. Optimal release strategies for stocking winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, USA. World Aquaculture 2003. The annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, May 19-23, 2003, Salvador, Brazil.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2002. Is predator conditioning necessary prior to the release of cultured winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus? Aquaculture America 2002. The annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, January 27-30, 2002, San Diego, CA.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2002. Optimal release strategies for winter flounder stock enhancement. Flatfish Biology Conference. December 10-11, 2002, Westbrook, CT.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2001. Winter flounder stock enhancement in New Hampshire: evaluating release locations. Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., Orlando, FL. (abstract). Invited speaker.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2000. Winter flounder stock enhancement in New Hampshire: evaluating release locations. Flatfish Biology Conference, Mystic, CT. (abstract).
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2000. Winter flounder stock enhancement in New Hampshire: a synopsis of optimal release strategies. Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., New Orleans, LA. (abstract). Invited speaker.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2000. Determining an optimal stocking density for juvenile winter flounder, Pseuodopleuronectes americanus. Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., New Orleans, LA. (abstract). Won best overall student Sea Grant presentation.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 1999. Predator-prey relationship between Pseudopleuronectes americanusand Carcinus maenas.Fourth International Flatfish Symposium, Atlantic Beach, NC. (abstract).
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 1999. Site, season, and substrate: defining an optimal release strategy for a winter flounder stock enhancement program. Fourth International Flatfish Symposium, Atlantic Beach, NC. (abstract).
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 1998. How important is the green crab,Carcinus maenas,as a predator on YOY winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus? Flatfish Biology Conference, Mystic, CT. (abstract)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 1998. Winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) stock enhancement: comparison of growth, survivorship, and feeding between hatchery and wild fish. Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., Las Vegas, NV. (abstract)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., W.H. Howell, A. Tomlinson, and N. King. 1997. Effect of density on the growth of summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus.Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., Seattle, WA. (abstract)
  
  
• King, N., W.H. Howell, A. Tomlinson, D. Bidwell, and E. Fairchild. 1997. Effect of microalgae and live diet type on the growth of first feeding winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus). Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., Seattle, WA. (abstract)

• Bidwell, D., W.H. Howell, N. King, E. Fairchild, and A. Tomlinson. 1997. Witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) aquaculture. Ann. Mtg. World Aquaculture Soc., Seattle, WA. (abstract)
  
  
• King, N., W.H. Howell, and E. Fairchild. 1997. Effect of stocking density on the growth and survival of larval and juvenile summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus.Symposium on Marine Finfish and Shellfish Aquaculture, Marine Stock Enhancement, and Open Ocean Engineering, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. (abstract)
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., W.H. Howell, A. Tomlinson, and N. King. 1996. Effect of density on the growth of summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus.Flatfish Biology Workshop, Mystic, CT. (abstract)
  
  
• Bidwell, D., W.H. Howell, N. King, E. Fairchild, and A. Tomlinson. 1996. Witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) aquaculture. Flatfish Biology Workshop, Mystic, CT. (abstract)

Publications

• Fairchild, E.A., N. Rennels and W.H. Howell. In Press. Effectiveness of acclimation cages for winter flounder stock enhancement. Reviews in Fisheries Science.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., N. Rennels, W.H. Howell, and R.E. Wells. 2007. Gonadal development and differentiation in cultured juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. World Aquacult. Soc. 38(1): 114-121.
  
  
• Sulikowski, J.A., E.A. Fairchild, N. Rennels, and W.H. Howell. 2006. The effects of transport density on cortisol levels in juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. World Aquacult. Soc. 37(1): 107-112.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A., J. Fleck, and W.H. Howell. 2005. Determining an optimal release site for juvenile winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum) in the Great Bay Estuary, NH, USA. Aquacult. Res. 36:1374-1383.
  
  
• Sulikowski, J.A., E.A. Fairchild, N. Rennels, and W.H. Howell. 2005. The effects of tagging and transport stress on juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus: implications for successful stock enhancement. J. World Aquacult. Soc. 36(1): 148-156.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2004. Factors affecting the post-release survival of juvenile Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. Fish Biol. 65: 69-87.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. 2002. Winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, stock enhancement in New Hampshire: developing optimal release strategies. PhD thesis, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 142 p.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2001. Optimal stocking density for juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. World Aquacult. Soc. 32(3): 300-308.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2000. Predator-prey size relationship between Pseudopleuronectes americanus and Carcinus maenas. J. Sea Res. 44: 81-90.
  
  
• King, N., W.H. Howell, and E. Fairchild. 1998. The effect of stocking density on the growth of juvenile summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus. UJNR Tech. Rep. No. 26:173-180.
  
  
• Fairchild, E.A. 1998. Winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus,stock enhancement: a preliminary investigation into the performance of cultured, juvenile fish. Master's thesis, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 124 p.