Courses

Research Interests

My research is in the area of fisheries science and aquaculture. Current studies of my graduate students and myself include an evaluation of winter flounder stock enhancement, the culture of cod, haddock and halibut in submerged, offshore net pens, the fine-scale distribution of cod in their spawning habitat, the distribution and migration of the ocean sunfish in the north Atlantic, the use of multi-beam sonar to assess groundfish populations, and winter flounder ecology.

Current Studies

• Assessing the Feasibility of Winter Flounder Stock Enhancement (Funded by NOAA)
• Activity and Distribution of Cod in the Ipswich Bay Spawning Area (Funded by Northeast Consortium; MS Research of Laughlin Siceloff)
• Optimal Weaning Strategies for Winter Flounder (PhD Research of Michelle (Mick) Walsh)
• Distribution, Migration and Behavior of the Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola, in the North Atlantic (Funded by the Large Pelagics Research Center; PhD Research of Inga Potter)
• Offshore Production of Cod, Haddock and Halibut (Funded by NOAA)
• Development of Multi-Beam Sonar as a Tool for Fisheries Stock Assessment (Funded by Northeast Consortium; PhD Research of Chris Gurshin

Selected Publications

Fairchild, E.A. and W.H. Howell. 2004. Factors affecting the post-release survival of juvenile Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. Fish Biol. 65: 69-87.

Sulikowski, J.A., P.C. Tsang and W.H. Howell. 2004. Annual changes in steroid hormone concentrations and gonad development in the winter skate, Leucoraja ocellata. Mar. Biol. 144: 845–853.

Howell, W.H. and M.D. Chambers. 2005. Growth performance and survival of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) grown in submerged net pens. Bull. Aqua. Assoc. Canada 9: 35-37.

Sulikowski, J.A., J. Kneebone, S. Elzey, P. Danley, W. H. Howell and P.W.C Tsang. 2005. Age and growth estimates of the thorny skate, Amblyraja radiata, in the Gulf of Maine. Fish. Bull. 103: 161-168.

Sulikowski, J.A., E.A. Fairchild, N. Rennels and W.H. Howell. 2005. The effects of tagging and transport stress on juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus: implications for successful stock enhancement. J. World. Aqua. Soc. 36(1): 148-156.

Sulikowski, J.A., E.A. Fairchild, N. Rennels and W.H. Howell. 2006. The effects of transport density on cortisol levels in juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. World Aqua. Soc. 37(1): 107-112.

Sulikowski, J.A., J. Kneebone, S. Elzey, P. Danley, W. H. Howell and P.W.C Tsang. 2006. The reproductive cycle of the thorny skate, Amblyraja radiata, in the Gulf of Maine. Fish. Bull. 103: 536-543.

Chambers, M.D. and W.H.Howell. 2006. Preliminary information on cod and haddock production in submerged cages off the coast of New Hampshire, USA. ICES Journal of Marine Science 63: 385-392.

Sulikowski, J.A., S. Elzey, J. Kneebone, J. Jurek, W.H. Howell, and P.C.W. Tsang. 2007. The reproductive cycle of the smooth skate, Malacoraja senta, in the Gulf of Maine. Marine and Freshwater Research 58: 98-103.

Fairchild, E.A., N. Rennels and W.H. Howell. 2007. Gonadal development and differentiation in cultured juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. J. World Aqua. Soc. 38: 114-121.