The Ontario Chapter of the American Fisheries Society has dedicated the Best Student Oral Presentation Award at our Annual Meeting in remembrance of Dr. Edwin J. (Ed) Crossman. At the time of his passing, Dr. Crossman was Curator Emeritus of Ichthyology at the Royal Ontario Museum Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology and Professor Emeritus, Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, a world-renowned leader in ichthyology, and an active and honoured member of the American Fisheries Society. Dr. Crossman coauthored the award-winning Freshwater Fishes of Canada with his colleague Dr. W.B. (Bev) Scott. This comprehensive book is one of North America’s most important and informative works on freshwater fishes. His obituary, written by Dr. John Casselman, was printed in Fisheries Vol. 30 No. 1 (page 27, January 2005).
The E.J. Crossman Award is presented to the graduate or undergraduate student enrolled in a university or college, whose oral presentation is deemed best by a panel of distinguished judges at the Annual Meeting of the Ontario Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. In 2008, the chapter hosted the AFS Annual Meeting and the Award was presented at a special E.J. Crossman Award Symposium. The award includes financial ($250) travel support to attend a scientific meeting, a one-year student membership to AFS and the Ontario Chapter, and a copy of Freshwater Fishes of Canada. The intention of the award is to encourage participation at an American Fisheries Society function.
The criteria for the award will include: 1) scientific approach; 2) organization and presentation; 3) communication skills; and 4) effectiveness of visual aids. Additional criteria includes that the recipient must be a student in good standing at a university or college.
To honour Dr. Crossman, special consideration will be given to projects that emphasize his research interests including (in no particular order): a) research highlighting Esocids; b) the relationships, evolution, distribution and biology of freshwater fishes; c) the biodiversity of the fishes of the Great Lakes; and d) research on the impacts of introduced fishes and organisms.
AWARD WINNERS
The 2024 winner was Mitchell Shorgan from Trent University. Mitchell (left) received his award from Ontario Chapter President Erik Tuononen (right). His presentation was titled “Validation of a new acoustic telemetry transmitter for the study of predation events in small fishes” and the abstract is available in the 2024 Annual Meeting Program.
Timothy Fernandes and Erik Dean, from the University of Toronto, were judged equally deserving of the 2023 award. Timothy (left) and Erik (right) “share” the award. Erik’s presentation was titled “Bighead Carp overwintering under climate change – spawning, survival, and implications for invasion” and Timothy’s presentation was titled “A Fish out of winter: Winter energy acquisition and storage influence spring reproduction in a warm-water fish”. Abstracts are available in the 2023 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2022 winner was Jordanna Bergman from Carleton University. Her presentation was titled “Spatial ecology of Muskellunge during a winter drawdown in a regulated, urban waterway in Canada” and the abstract is available in the 2022 Annual Meeting Program. As this was Jordanna’s second E.J. Crossman Award (also won in 2020), she received an alternate fisheries book.
The 2021 winner was Lindsay Potts from McGill University. Lindsay (bottom) received her award virtually from Ontario Chapter President-Elect Sarah Steele (top left) and Ontario Chapter President Craig Paterson (top right). Her presentation was titled “Exploring the effects of elevated water temperature on the imperilled Pugnose Shiner” and the abstract is available in the 2021 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2020 winner was Jordanna Bergman from Carleton University. Jordanna (right) received her award from Ontario Chapter President-Elect Craig Paterson (left). Jordanna’s presentation was titled “Spatial ecology of invasive Round Goby in the Rideau Canal Waterway: Understanding fish behaviour at the invasion front” and the abstract is available in the 2020 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2019 winner was Andrea Reid from Carleton University. Andrea (right) received her award from Ontario Chapter President Jan Moryk (left). Andrea’s presentation was titled “Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity” and the abstract is available in the 2019 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2018 winner was Sarah Walton from Carleton University. Sarah (left) received her award from Ontario Chapter Vice President Phil Bird (right). Sarah’s presentation was titled “Exploring the Spatial Ecology of Juvenile Esocids in a Large Fluvial System” and the abstract is available in the 2018 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2017 winner was Tej Heer from the University of Toronto. Tej (far right), pictured with Erling Holm (far left) and Award runner-up Dmitri Perlov (2nd from left), received his award from Ontario Chapter President Jessica Wright (2nd from right). Tej’s presentation was titled “Preliminary Assessment of Asian Carp Spawning Potential in Tributaries to the Canadian Lake Ontario Basin” and the abstract is available in the 2017 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2016 winner was Zachery Wells, from Concordia University. Zachery (right) received his award from Ontario Chapter President Lee Gutowsky (left). Zach’s presentation was titled “Investigating the effects of population size, divergence, and stress on outbreeding in fragmented populations of Salvelinus fontinalis” and the abstract is available in the 2016 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2015 winner was Miranda Chen, from York University. Miranda (right) received her award from Ontario Chapter President Sean Stuart (left). Miranda’s presentation was titled “Panic at the Cisco: Predicting the effects of climate change on Cisco distributions in Ontario” and the abstract is available in the 2015 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2013 winner was Lee Gutowsky, from Carleton University. Lee (right) received his award from Ontario Chapter President Brian Morrison (left). Lee’s presentation was titled “Smartphones and digital tablets: Emerging tools for data collection and education in fisheries” and the abstract is available in the 2013 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2012 winner was William Glass, from the University of Windsor. Bill (right) received his award from Ontario Chapter Vice President Nick Lapointe (centre) and Ontario Chapter President Dean Fitzgerald. His presentation was titled “Novel molecular phylogeny of the Lepisosteidae and identification of specimens of unknown origin” and the abstract is available in the 2012 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2011 winner was Shannon Dorn, from the University of Waterloo. Shannon (left) received her award from Ontario Chapter Vice President Scott Gibson (right). Her presentation was titled “Factors affecting differential mercury levels in landlocked and anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) from Labrador” and the abstract is available in the 2011 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2010 winner was Sean Landsman, from Carleton University. Sean (right) received his award from Ontario Chapter Vice President Scott Gibson (left). His presentation was titled “The Effects of Catch-and-Release Angling for Muskellunge” and the abstract is available in the 2010 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2008 winner was Paul Venturelli, from the University of Toronto. Paul (far right) is is pictured with Mrs. Margaret Crossman (2nd from right), Nick Mandrak (2nd from left) and Becky Cudmore (far left). His presentation was titled “Maternal quality and the sustainability of exploited fish stocks” and the abstract is available in the November 2008 Newsletter.
The 2007 winner was Mason Marchildon, from the University of Waterloo. Dave (right) received the award from Ontario Student Subunit President Mary Finch (left). His presentation was titled “Hydrodynamic Properties of Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout Redds” and the abstract is available in the 2007 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2006 winner was Dave Zanatta from the University of Toronto. Dave (centre) received the award from Mrs. Margaret Crossman (left) and Ontario Chapter President Warren Dunlop (right). His presentation was titled “Evolution of active host-attraction strategies in the freshwater mussel tribe Lampsilini (Bivalvia: Unionidae)” and the abstract is available in the 2006 Annual Meeting Program.
The 2005 winner was Erin Dunlop, from the University of Toronto. Erin (2nd from right) received the award from Dr. Bev Scott (2nd from left), Ontario Chapter President Dave Stanley (far left) and Becky Cudmore (far right). Her presentation was titled “Evolutionary changes in harvested populations” and the abstract is available in the 2005 Annual Meeting Program.
The inaugural recipient in 2004 was Mark Poesch (nee Poos), from the University of Guelph. Mark (centre) received the award from Dr. John Casselman (left) and Ontario Chapter President Dave Green (right). His presentation was titled “Can single factor remediation recover fish species at risk in a complex system?” and the abstract is available in the 2004 Annual Meeting Program.
