Dr. Steven J. Cooke is the Canada Research Chair in Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Cooke’s lab maintains broad interests in all aspects of aquatic ecology, conservation biology, physiological ecology, animal behavior, evidence synthesis and knowledge mobilization. Freshwater and marine fishes are used as research models for experiments conducted in laboratory tanks, experimental ponds, and most commonly, field sites. Specific interests involve understanding how fish interact with each other, their environment, and humans to inform conservation and management. Cooke is particularly active in the realm of recreational fisheries research such as catch-and-release, habitat science, and movement ecology. Cooke has over 650 peer-reviewed publications in leading fisheries, ecology, conservation, and physiology journals, which have been cited more than 21,000 times. He is founding editor of the Oxford University Press journal Conservation Physiology (Impact Factor of 2.3). In 2015 he was selected as an NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Fellow, a program for the top six NSERC researchers under age 40. He was also elected to the College of the Royal Society of Canada and as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Cooke holds a number of leadership positions including Chair of the Sea Lamprey Research Board of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and Chair of the Science Advisory Committee for the Ocean Tracking Network. He is currently President for the International Section of the American Fisheries Society and Secretary of the College of the Royal Society of Canada.
