Restoring the Great Fish Migrations of Atlantic Rivers

An Evening with Nationally Recognized Aquatic Conservation Biologist & Author Dr. John Waldman, Professor at Queens College, New York

Atlantic rivers once "ran silver" with great runs of migrating salmon, shad, alewives and sturgeon; today these runs are only relics. Dr. John Waldman will draw on his most recent book, Running Silver: Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their Great Fish Migrations, to discuss why sea-river fish have dwindled in numbers, what we stand to lose, and actions needed to ensure their recovery, including new concepts for replacement of hydro-dams with alternative energy sources. Discover the past, present, and future of these fascinating fish through research, historical accounts, anecdotes, and images. 

Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt hails the book as an informative and fascinating history of the migratory salmon, shad, herring, and other runs that once swarmed the rivers and estuaries of the Atlantic coast. Most important, this book explains what we can do to restore these fisheries to their former abundance. A great read and important blueprint for action.

Please join us for drinks, conversation, and a book-signing following Dr. Waldman's presentation. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Copies of Dr. Waldman's recent book, Running Silver: Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their Great Fish Migrations, will be available for $25 each.

John Waldman is an aquatic conservation biologist with a singular passion for diadromous fish. Dr. Waldman joined the faculty of Queens College as a tenured professor of Biology in 2004. For the previous twenty years he was employed by the Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research. He received his Ph.D. in 1986 from the Joint Program in Evolutionary Biology between the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York, and prior to that an M.S. in Marine and Environmental Sciences from Long Island University.  

Waldmans primary research interests are the ecology, evolution, and conservation biology of temperate North American fishes, especially the diadromous forms that migrate between fresh and salt water. In recent years, he has been involved in projects ranging from the local (Bronx River fish passage, the environmental resilience of Jamaica Bay), to the regional (migrations and stock identification of Atlantic coast striped bass), to the national and international (conservation and restoration of sturgeons and shads, the fish of Mongolia). As a teacher and mentor, he has inspired a generation of students to pursue careers in similar and related fields. 

Dr. Waldman has authored more than 90 scientific articles, edited a number of scientific volumes, and written several popular books, including the award-winning Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor, which chronicles the ecological history of New York Harbor (from pristine, to fouled-to-the point-of-near-death, to slowly recovering) and has become an essential resource for anyone interested in the citys aquatic heritage. He also is an occasional essayist for the New York Times, Yale Environment 360, and other periodicals. Dr. Waldman lives with his family within easy fishing distance of Long Island Sound in Sea Cliff, NY, and the Housatonic River in West Cornwall, CT. To learn more: http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/Bio...

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