Brandon Gerig
Brandon Gerig is a sophomore in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. After he earns a bachelor's degree, he plans to enter graduate school and eventually become a fisheries professor
Do you have a mentor?
My advisor, Dr. Ashley Moerke, exemplifies many qualities that I hope to have when I teach. She remains actively involved with research, while being completely devoted to her students. I’ve noticed that people like her are what set LSSU apart from other universities. My professors know and care about me, not just academically but personally. The close attention I receive really makes all the difference.
What attracted you to fisheries studies in general and to LSSU's program in particular?
I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors. My career plans will allow me to integrate my passion for the natural world with a profession. I considered Alaska Pacific University, Northland College, and Purdue University. Simply put, Lake State had the best fisheries program of all that I looked into. Its river-front Aquatic Research Laboratory (ARL) sealed the deal. The opportunity to conduct my own senior research project through the lab also set LSSU’s program apart from others. I actually toured the ARL as a first-grader with my family during a vacation. Seeing the Atlantic salmon that they raised left a lasting impression on me and helped foster my passion for the natural world.
What kind of field experiences have you enjoyed so far in the program?
When federal grants come through, I’ll be offered a position with the ARL and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct an assessment of Lake Sturgeon in the St Mary’s river for the next two summers. I’ll be tracking adult sturgeon with radio telemetry in hopes of identifying spawning areas. So far through Lake Superior State, I’ve collected spawning adult Atlantic salmon, done hydrophone telemetry of Sturgeon, radio-tracked an Elk herd in Canada, and banded migrating owls at Whitefish Point These projects were actually extra-curricular activities through LSSU’s Fisheries and Wildlife Club, which is the most active club on campus.
Have you had a "neat moment" that makes all of the studying and working worthwhile?
Observing the Atlantic salmon develop from eggs to fry to smolts and finally to adults is very fascinating. We spawned this year’s Atlantics during the second week of November. The eggs had eyed by mid-December, and started to hatch in mid-January.
Have you had any summer internships or jobs that related to your experience with the lab?
Last year I worked with a graduate student for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians on research that looked at the habitat preference of juvenile lake sturgeon in the Manistee River. We also collected larval sturgeon and raised them in a stream-side rearing facility. It was an excellent and very rewarding project, especially since sturgeon are a threatened species. I was hired for this job after a lengthy conversation with a tribal biologist during last spring’s Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, a meeting that LSSU students go to every year. The experience I gained through the ARL helped me get the position. I learned many specialized skills involving the culturing of fish. I also learned the importance of accurate data collection and hard work. I hope to do the same kind of work on the St. Mary's River this summer, this time with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What are some of your outside interests?
I love the outdoors. I love to fish, hike, snowshoe and bird watch. I also enjoy reading, listening to music, and playing the guitar in the little free time I have from the academics I enjoy.
