Mark R. Collins Senior Marine Scientist SC Dept of Natural Resources, Charleston, SC Ph.D., University of Florida collinsm@dnr.sc.gov
Research: Fish health/parasitology; effects of water quality degradation. Current research includes (1) effects of estuarine water quality degradation on fish communities, especially populations of shortnose sturgeon (an endangered species), and (2) effects of population depletion (e.g., harvest) on life history parameters of reef fishes.
Publications:  McCord, J. W. , M. R. Collins, W. C. Post, and T. I. J Smith. 2007. Attempts to develop a recruitment index for age-1 Atlantic sturgeon in South Carolina, USA. In: J. Munro, D. Hatin, K. McKown, J. Hightower, K. Sulak, A. Kahne, and F. Caron (editors). Proceedings of the Symposium on Anadromous Sturgeons: Status and Trends, Anthropogenic Impacts, and Essential Habitats. American Fisheries Society Symposium 56:397-403. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. Smith, T.I.J., W.E. Jenkins, M.R. Denson, and M.R. Collins. 2004. Increasing red drum abundance in South Carolina: monitor, regulate, and stock hatchery fish. Pages 77-86 in: M. J. Nickum, P.M. Mazik, J.G. Nickum, and D. D. MacKinlay (Editors). Propagated fish in resource management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 44, American Fisheries Society, Bethesda Maryland. Jenkins, W. E., M. R. Denson, C. B. Bridgham, M. R. Collins and T. I. J. Smith. 2004. Year class component, growth, and movement of juvenile red drum stocked seasonally in a South Carolina estuary. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24:636-647. Collins, M.R., T.I.J. Smith, V.A. Mudrak, R. Bakal, and K. Ware. 2004. Use of propagated shortnose sturgeon assurrogates for wild fish. Pages 371-376 in M. J. Nickum, P.M. Mazik, J.G. Nickum, and D. D. MacKinlay, editors. Propagated fish in resource management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 44, American Fisheries Society, Bethesda Maryland. Collins, M.R., D. Cooke, B. Post, J. Crane, J. Bulak, T.I.J. Smith, T.W. Greig, and J.M. Quattro. 2003. Shortnose sturgeon in the Santee-Cooper reservoir system, South Carolina. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 132(6): Collins, M.R., B. Callahan, B. Post, and A. Avildsen. 2002. Locating sciaenid spawning aggregations in anticipation of harbor modifications, and reactions of spotted seatrout spawners to acoustic disturbance. Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Applications of Passive Acoustics to Fisheries. MIT Sea Grant. Cambridge, MA. Collins, M.R., D.W. Cooke, T.I.J. Smith, W.C. Post, D.C. Russ, and D.C. Walling. 2002. Evaluation of four methods of transmitter attachment on shortnose sturgeon. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 18:491-494. Collins, M. R., W. C. Post, D. C. Russ, and T. I. J. Smith. 2002. Habitat use and movements of juvenile shortnose sturgeon in the Savannah River, GA-SC. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 131:975-979 Collins, M.R., T.I.J. Smith, W.M. Jenkins, and M.R. Denson. 2002. Small marine reserves may increase escapement of red drum. Fisheries 27(2):20-24. Jenkins, W. E., M. R. Denson, C. B. Bridgham, M. R. Collins and T. I. J. Smith. 2002. Retention of oxytetracycline-induced marks on sagittae of red drum. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 22:590-594.