Associate Professor Fisheries Management and Ecology Education Education: Ph.D., Natural Resource Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2013 M.S., Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University, 2006 B.S., Conservation Management and Biology, Upper Iowa University, 2003 Research Selected Publications: Yeager, J.L., T. Bonvechio, and M.J. Hamel. 2024. Population demographics and angler exploitation of Suwannee Bass. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 44:415-427. Yeager, J.W., T.F. Bonvechio, and M.J. Hamel. 2024. Movement dynamics and habitat selection of Suwannee bass Micropterus notius. Hydrobiologia 851(5):1153-1167. Werner, J.P., Q.D. Dean, M.A. Pegg, and M.J. Hamel. 2023. Patterns in spatial use and movement of Silver Carp among tributaries and main-stem rivers: Insight from otolith microchemistry analysis. Biological Invasions 25(2):471-484. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02927-y. Werner, J.P., Q.D. Dean, M.A. Pegg, and M.J. Hamel. 2022. Spatial variability of Silver Carp population demographics in a large tributary river. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25(2):471-484. . Dean, Q.D., J.P. Werner, M.A. Pegg, and M.J. Hamel. 2022. Blue catfish population characteristics and dispersal along a great plains river gradient. River Research and Applications 38(6)1179-11191. DOI:10.1002/rra.3985. Pegg, M.A., M.J. Hamel, J. Koch, and D. Buckmeier. 2022. Creating a digital repository of calcified structures from known-age fishes, a century in the making. Fisheries 47(8):357-360 DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10773. Dean, Q., M.A. Pegg, and M.J. Hamel. 2021. Temporal patterns of capture, retention rates and efficacy of bank poles in the Kansas River: A novel sampling tool for catfish managers. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41:S379-S387 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10627. Hamel, M.J., J.J. Spurgeon, M.A. Pegg, and K.D. Steffensen. 2020. Uncovering unique plasticity in life history of an endangered centenarian fish. Nature Scientific Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69911-1. Hamel, M.J., J.J. Spurgeon, and M.A. Pegg. 2020. Catfish population characteristics among river segments with altered fluvial-geomorphic conditions in the Missouri River, NE, USA. North American Journal of Fisheries Management http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10478. Goto, D., M.J. Hamel, J.J. Hammen, M.L. Rugg, M.A. Pegg, and V.A. Forbes. 2020. Divergent density feedback control of migratory predator recovery following sex-biased perturbations. Ecology and Evolution https://doi.org/10.1101/828244. Uerling, C.C., M.J. Hamel, and M.A. Pegg. 2019. Fish community response to habitat variables in two restored side channels of the lower Platte River, Nebraska. River Research and Applications 35:178-187; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3390. Steffensen, K.D., M.J. Hamel, and J.J. Spurgeon. 2019. Post-stocking pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albusgrowth, dispersal, and survival in the lower Missouri River. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 35:117-127. Research Areas: Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Research Interests: My research is broadly focused on applied ecology embedded within a framework of answering theoretical questions to better understand and manage aquatic ecosystems. My general research interests are centered on the context of describing how the environment influences fish population dynamics and how that information can be used to better manage our natural resources. My research program has varied among types of systems and species of fish, but has primarily focused in riverine environments. I am interested in determining how both native and introduced fishes use riverscapes with varying levels of connectivity or are impacted by other anthropogenic features.
