Here Jesse is in Rocky Mountain National Park pursing one of his favorite fish in Colorado, the cutthroat trout.
Jesse M. Lepak, Ph.D.
Food Web Ecologist
607-351-8310
Salvelinus2005@gmail.com
Jesse received his M.S. (2004) and Ph.D. (2008) degrees from the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University with concentrations in fishery science, resource policy and management, and cellular and molecular medicine. His collegial research focused on addressing various deleterious effects in aquatic ecosystems caused by anthropogenic perturbations, including negative impacts from mercury contamination in sport fish, introduced and invasive species on native species, and early mortality syndrome in Great Lakes salmonids from thiamine deficiency.
Jesse moved on to do postdoctoral research at Colorado State University for two and a half years focusing on mercury contamination in fish to maximize the benefits of fish consumption to anglers and their families while identifying ways of minimizing potential risks. From 2010 to 2015 Jesse worked as the statewide lake and reservoir researcher with Colorado Parks and Wildlife where he continued his efforts on mercury contamination research, serving on the Technical Advisory Committee developing fish consumption advice with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This position also afforded him the opportunity to acquire experience addressing other important ecological issues including introduced and invasive aquatic invertebrate species, introduced and invasive fish species, degraded water quality, the stocking of non-native fishes, fish parasites, aquaculture, biological control of invasive species, aquaculture, and sources of native fish mortality. Jesse joined BRI in 2016 to provide expertise on mercury issues in fish and fisheries.