PhD Dissertation Proposal Defense by Drake Ssempijja  August 25, 2025 @ 1pm
“Understanding Abandoned, Lost, or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear as a Source of Plastic Pollution in Inland Fisheries”
Defense Event Listing on UMass Dartmouth Calendar: HERE

Advisor:
Dr. Pingguo He (UMass Dartmouth)

Committee Members:
Dr. Steve Cadrin (UMass Dartmouth),
Dr. Chris Rillahan (UMass Dartmouth),
Dr. Paul Winger (Memorial University of Newfoundland)

Abstract

Abandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a growing global concern, with nearly 2% of all fishing gear used in marine fisheries lost to the ocean annually. This leads to environmental issues such as ghost fishing mortality, habitat degradation, recreational disruptions, and hazards to navigation.

While most ALDFG research focuses on marine environments in developed regions, this dissertation explores the issue in inland fisheries. The research aims to enhance understanding of the status, extent, and management of ALDFG by:

1. Conducting a global review of ALDFG in inland fisheries over the past 50 years.
2. Estimating gear loss and analyzing management strategies in Lake Victoria, East Africa.
3. Assessing the robustness of policies and legislation in Lake Victoria using a gap analysis framework.
4. Comparing ALDFG transboundary management in Lake Victoria and the American Great Lakes.

This research will be a pioneering contribution to understanding ALDFG and plastic pollution in inland waters.

Join the Meeting

https://umassd.zoom.us/j/99192100393
Note: Meeting ID and passcode required. Please email the contact below for details.

For additional information, please contact Callie Rumbut at c.rumbut@umassd.edu

SMAST East 101-103 : 836 S. Rodney French Blvd. New Bedford MA 02744
 Callie Rumbut
 c.rumbut@umassd.edu

August 21, 2025 @ 1pm
“Development of a Field Computer/Camera System for Living Marine Resource Monitoring and Application to Improve the Understanding and Assessment of River Herring Migrations”
Defense Event Listing on UMass Dartmouth Website: HERE

Advisor: Dr. Pingguo He (UMass Dartmouth)

Committee Members: Dr. Christopher Rillahan (UMass Dartmouth) and Dr. Robert Vincent (MIT Sea Grant)

Abstract:

This thesis describes an underwater video camera and a solar-powered single-board computer system designed and assembled with commercially available components to monitor living marine resources in their habitats. The system can directly observe and record migrating river herring, a collective name for Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis). River herring populations are depleted relative to historic levels due to decades of habitat loss and overexploitation; harvest is now widely prohibited. River herring in select river systems are monitored by human observers, and some have electronic counting systems. However, current fish-counting technologies are phasing out, and developing additional fish enumeration methodologies is a high priority. Video recording systems made with commercially available components are accessible, relatively low-cost, and offer standardization of equipment and data between users. Electronic video monitoring systems are also easily replicable and suitable for species such as river herring. To monitor and record the annual spring migration of spawning river herring in New England rivers, I created and deployed multiple solar-powered computers paired with underwater cameras. These systems are designed to operate in remote locations and record videos of migrating fish, which can then be reviewed to produce spawning population count estimates. Video monitoring systems are also useful for comparing fish stocks before and after restoration efforts and fish passage installations. This portable, solar-powered, single-board computer system is intended to be an economical, robust, and modular field computer system that can be easily customized to fit user needs. A video surveillance system provides observation coverage for the times of the day when human observers are not present; recorded fish migrations improve population estimates through more complete monitoring of the event. This system can also support upgrades and future expansion; a temperature probe can be installed alongside the camera. Recent developments in edge computing technology offer the potential for in-situ object recognition through on-board image processing. Natural resource managers can leverage a combination of consumer technologies to monitor ecosystems and make effective decisions.

Please email c.rumbut@umassd.edu for meeting ID and password if attending via zoom.

SMAST East 101-103 : 836 S. Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford MA 02744
 Callie Rumbut
 c.rumbut@umassd.edu
 https://umassd.zoom.us/j/91540616096