Feature Stories

Doug Zemeckis '16 venting black sea bass

Feature Stories

Doug Zemeckis '16: Assistant Professor

Dr. Zemeckis focuses on applied research related to fisheries, aquaculture, & coastal resource management.

As a PhD student, Doug Zemeckis focused his research on the spawning dynamics and movements of Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine and contributed to several studies on Atlantic cod, haddock, cusk, and halibut in New England. In 2016, he earned his PhD in Marine Science and Technology under the guidance of Dr. Steve Cadrin, Professor of Fisheries Oceanography at the School for Marine Science & Technology at UMass Dartmouth.

Zemeckis' research on spring and winter spawning cod assisted in the development of management practices for New England fisheries. Results also provided a more holistic understanding of cod population dynamics and addressed fisheries problems using various tagging methods—conventional, archival, and acoustic—that track the journey and whereabouts of cod.

Results from his investigative studies have proven valuable for informing fishery managers in the development of regulations to protect cod spawning aggregations.

As a doctoral candidate, he also served as a co-principal investigator on multiple discard mortality projects with cod, haddock, and cusk in collaboration with researchers from the New England Aquarium, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and the University of New England.

After completing Postdoctoral Researcher positions at SMAST and Rutgers University, Dr. Zemeckis is currently working as a County Agent III (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources with Rutgers University’s Cooperative Extension. His primary responsibilities include conducting educational programming and applied research related to fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal resource management in New Jersey. He is the lead or co-author of more than 15 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles.