Scott Colborne, Ph.D.

Scott Colborne

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Assistant Professor
Quantitative Fisheries Center

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Education:

  • Ph.D. - Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 2013
  • M.Sc. - Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 2008
  • B.Sc. - Zoology, University of Guelph, 2006

Background:

I received my MSc from the University of Guelph (Dr. Beren Robinson) and PhD from Western University (Dr. Bryan Neff), where my research focused on the foraging ecology of pumpkinseed and bluegill sunfish in eastern Ontario lakes.
 
My work with acoustic telemetry and applied fisheries management began as a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Aaron Fisk at the University of Windsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (2014–2017). There, I led and collaborated on telemetry studies of fish movement and ecology in the Detroit River and became involved with the developing Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS). I subsequently joined Michigan State University as a Research Associate (2017–2019), working with Dr. Charles Krueger and Dr. Darryl Hondorp (USGS Great Lakes Science Center) on lake sturgeon movement and habitat-use research across the Huron-Erie Corridor.
 
From 2020–2022, I worked as a researcher at the University of California, Davis, synthesizing acoustic telemetry data for migratory fishes throughout California’s Central Valley, including green and white sturgeon. Across these positions, I have worked closely with university, state, federal, and other management partners to connect fisheries research with conservation and management needs.
 

Research Interests:

As an Assistant Professor in the Quantitative Fisheries Center, my research focuses on applying quantitative approaches to questions in fish ecology, movement, conservation, and management across the Great Lakes region. I work closely with the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS), using acoustic telemetry and movement data to better understand fish behavior, habitat use, and population dynamics to inform fisheries management. Current research includes work on species such as walleye, grass carp, smallmouth bass, burbot, and lake sturgeon.
 
I also lead Michigan State University’s research and annual operations at the Black River Lake Sturgeon Rearing Facility in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. This long-term program integrates lake sturgeon research, conservation, and streamside rearing to support restoration of the Black Lake sturgeon population and other Michigan waters. Across these efforts, my research emphasizes collaborative science that connects university researchers, students, management agencies, and conservation partners to address applied fisheries management and conservation questions.
 

Selected Publications: 

  • Colborne, S.F., Sheppard, L.W., O’Donnell, D.R., Reuman, D.C., Walter, J.A., Singer, G.P., Kelly, J.T., Thomas, M.J., and Rypel, A.L. (2022) Intraspecific variation in migration timing of green sturgeon in the Sacramento River system. Ecosphere. e4139. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4139 
  • Colborne, S.F., Hayden, T.A., Holbrook, C.M., Hondorp, D.W., Krueger, C.C. (2021) Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) annual survival estimated from acoustic telemetry. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 47(6): 1814-1823. doi: 10.1016/j.jglr.2021.08.007 
  • Weinz, A.A., Klinard, N.V., Matley, J.K., Fisk, A.T., and Colborne, S.F. (2021) Performance of acoustic telemetry in relation to submerged aquatic vegetation in a nearshore freshwater habitat. Marine and Freshwater Research 72: 1033-1044. doi: 10.1071/MF20245 
  • Weinz, A.A., Klinard, N.V., J.K. Matley, Fisk, A.T., and Colborne, S.F. (2020) Identification of predation events in wild fish using novel acoustic transmitters. Animal Biotelemetry 8(1): 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s40317-020-00215-x 
  • Colborne, S.F., Hondorp, D.W., Holbrook, C.M., Lowe, M.R., Boase, J.C., Chiotti, J.A., Wills, T.C., Roseman, E.F., and Krueger, C.C. (2019) Sequence analysis and acoustic tracking individual lake sturgeon identifies multiple patterns of river-lake habitat use. Ecosphere 10(12): e02983. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.2983 
  • Klinard N.V., Fisk, A.T., Kessel S.T., Halfyard, E.A., and Colborne, S.F. (2018) Habitat use and small-scale movement patterns of sympatric sunfish species in a large temperate river. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 75(7): 1059-1069. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2017-0125