Suresh A. Sethi
Associate Professor and Director
Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center
Earth and Environmental Sciences Department
Brooklyn College, City University of New York
Affiliate Faculty, Alaska Pacific University, F.A.S.T. Lab
University Fellow, Ulster University
e. suresh.sethi at brooklyn.cuny.edu
Curriculum vitae.
Publications: google scholar
Twitter (X): @SASethi_
LinkedIn: Suresh A. Sethi
My research aims to address information needs for aquatic ecosystem management with a focus on fishery systems. I maintain a multidisciplinary research program which spans ecological topics—including population ecology, disturbance ecology, and statistical genetics—and socioeconomic topics—including risk assessment and risk management in fisheries. Much of what I do involves applied statistics and modeling, but I occasionally get out in the field to conduct lake and stream sampling, collect biopsies off walrus, and count things in the intertidal zone. The ecosystems in which I’ve worked are predominately found at high latitudes, many of which are situated in subarctic and arctic climates. I also commercially fished for a few seasons in Alaska.
I grew up on the Mississippi River in Minnesota. I earned a B.S. in Zoology at the U of WI-Madison Center for Limnology and then earned both a M.S. and Ph.D. in Fisheries Science from the U of WA-Seattle School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.
Current Lab Members
The Sethi lab recently moved from Cornell to Brooklyn College at City University New York and thus our group spans institutions.
Kelsey Alvarez del Castillo
M.S. Student, Cornell University
Round goby invasion ecology and Hudson River ecosystem management.
Jess Best
M.S. Student, Cornell University
Striped bass ecology and fisheries management in the Hudson River ecosystem management. Jess is also a full time research biologist in the Cornell-NY Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Fisheries Program.
Taylor Brown
Ph.D Student, Cornell University
Coregonine spatial ecology and early life-history in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Taylor completed her M.S. in 2020 in our group and is continuing on for her Ph.D.
Shamina Israt
M.A. Student, Brooklyn College
Meta-analysis of seafood product recovery rates.
Alex Koeberle
Ph.D. Student, Cornell University
Population ecology and ecosystem science to support re-introduction of Cisco to inland lakes in the Lake Ontario basin.
Dr. Tom Evans
Postdoctoral researcher, Cornell University
In a joint Cornell-Great Lakes Science Center collaboration, Tom is working on fisheries acoustics surveys using autonomous vehicles. His research will compare saildrone acoustic data against traditional ship-based surveys to tackle some long standing questions about ship avoidance in fishery surveys.
Past Members
Students
Kimberly Fitzpatrick
Ph.D. 2023, Cornell University
Predator-prey fisheries population dynamics modeling and stock assessment. Dr. Fitzpatrick is a postdoctoral scholar at the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
T. Scott Smeltz
Ph.D. 2023, Cornell University
Managing for long term sustainability of seafood production from bottom-tendered wild capture fisheries: evaluating tradeoffs between spatial closures versus gear modification. Scott is now Research Professor at Alaska Pacific University.
Dr. Meadhbh Moriarty
Visiting Fulbright Ph.D. Student 2018-2019, Ulster University
As a Fulbright-Marine Institute Student Awardee, Meadhbh visited Cornell University and Alaska Pacific University to develop geostatistical models to assess changing marine fish population distributions to inform harvest management. Dr. Moriarty now is a research scientist at Marine Scotland where she works on fisheries management and marine epidemiological modeling.
Matt Paufve
M.S. 2019, Cornell University
Assessment of spawning habitat use by Cisco in the Great Lake systems to inform population restoration efforts in Lake Ontario. Matt is currently the Science Manager at the Waitt Institute.
John Hagan
M.S. 2016, Alaska Pacific University
Assessment of the relationship between Landsat thermal imagery and in situ stream temperature dynamics in temperate subarctic systems–is remotely sensed thermal data useful for fisheries ecology? John is currently a Fishery Biologist for the NW Indian Fisheries Commission.
Sabrina Larsen
M.S. 2016, Alaska Pacific University
Sabrina studied triploidy induction in Chinook Salmon and assessed the efficacy of increased pressure shock duration on triploidy success. Sabrina is currently Biologist with the AK Department of Fish and Game.
Postdoc scholars
Dr. Franz Simon
Postdoctoral researcher, Cornell University and The Nature Conservancy
In a joint TNC-Cornell collaboration, Franz’s research is spanning ecology, computer science, and economics to identify strategies for communities to maintain fishing portfolios that are robust to climate change.
Dr. Kristen Hychka
Postdoctoral researcher, Cornell University and NY Water Resources Institute
Kristen is a member of the NY Water Resources Institute. Her work addresses aquatic natural resource management in NY and Northeast U.S. watersheds. She is currently conducting a synthesis of social considerations surrounding dam removal. Her project is contributing to larger program to advance aquatic connectivity restoration in the Hudson River, an iconic watershed.
Dr. Diana Rypkema
NatureNet postdoctoral fellow, Cornell University