People

John began his lifelong love of fish as an avid fly-fisherman trying to understand what fish eat and what habitats to catch them in. His motivation to catch fish evolved into a passion to study fish ecology.

After completing his B.S. from Penn State University and some backpacking on the AT, John pursued a M.S. at East Carolina University, where he examined otolith geochemistry of striped bass and became extremely fond of the scientific method and research. The eagerness to better understand fish ecology led to a Ph.D. at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, and a post doc/research scientist position at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Dr. Mohan joined the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at UNE as an assistant professor in 2020.

As a marine fish ecologist, Dr. Mohan examines life histories, migration patterns, population connectivity, and food web interactions. Research approaches utilize natural chemical and electronic tags and integrate these complimentary techniques. His work aims to improve understanding of fish life histories in support of effective management and sustainable fisheries. Teaching students and mentoring aspiring undergraduate and graduate researchers is what Dr. Mohan enjoys most about UNE.

Jessie graduated from Monmouth University in May 2024, majoring in Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy and minoring in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As a first-year master’s student, she will be investigating changes in sea surface and bottom temperature within the Gulf of Maine due to climate change, and the resulting distribution shifts of native ground fish species. Eventually, she will be conducting lab experiments to observe the ecological food web effects of black sea bass under predicted warming trends. Outside of her studies, Jessie loves swimming in the ocean and going to the gym.

Nick graduated from Eckerd College in 2021 majoring in both Marine Science and Environmental studies while minoring in both Mathematics and Chemistry. After graduation, Nick worked in Hawaii as a conservationist – aiding in cetacean photo-ID, sea turtle rehabilitation, and humpback whale disentanglement. More recently, he spent some time at the Bimini Biological Field Station, where he spent the summer tagging large coastal elasmobranchs to help BBFS with their ongoing spatial ecology projects. As a first year’s master’s student, Nick is working on elasmobranch population connectivity in the Gulf of Mexico through stable isotope analysis, comparing life histories of blacktip sharks, bull sharks, and Atlantic stingrays. Outside of his research, Nick enjoys soccer and going on hikes with his dog.

Peter is a junior marine science student in his third year with the lab. He’s working on using trace element concentrations in shortfin mako shark vertebrae to develop techniques in aging. This is in conjunction with his past research which used trace elements to explore the shark’s distribution and movement patterns.

Grace is majoring in Marine Biology and Environmental Science, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. They recently joined the Mohan Shark and Fish Ecology Lab after moving to Maine from Illinois. They assist with research and daily tasks within the lab such as seine surveying, otolith collection, and performing checks on the current research animals. Grace is exploring satellite tag data from blacktip, bull and tiger sharks in the Gulf of Mexico.

Kade is a senior marine biology major with a minor in climate change studies. Outside the lab Kade is an avid fisherman and enjoys boating. His research investigates eDNA to identify the seasonal distribution patterns of striped bass in the Saco River. He is also interested in scale chemistry as a potential non-lethal chemical tracer of striped bass life history.

Clayton is a Marine Science major at UNE. Clayton has been focusing mainly on research pertaining to bycatch and how to prevent it from happening. He is also interested in ecological movement, behavior, and stress analysis (such as post-release/at vessel mortalities) of sharks. Because of his love for sharks, he is an active SCUBA diver and underwater photographer. When not in the lab, you can find Clayton in the gym or playing club baseball.

Emma (she/her) is studying marine biology with a minor in applied mathematics. She grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, right on the ocean. Emma’s research focuses on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna eye lenses to investigate age, migration patterns, and life history of the tuna.

Ben is a marine science student currently working on an otolith research project focusing on variation in White Hake (Urophycis tenuis) otolith carbon and oxygen stable isotopes with increasing temperatures in the Gulf of Maine. He is also working on acoustic telemetry of striped bass in the Saco River Estuary. Additionally, Ben is a member of the Varsity Men’s Lacrosse team here at UNE.

Audrey (she/her) studying Marine Science and Aquaculture. She is originally from New Jersey, and in the short time she’s spent in Maine, she is confident she selected the correct university. Audrey committed to UNE mainly because of the undergraduate research opportunities. Being a part of the Mohan Shark and Fish Ecology Lab has allowed her to explore interest in fish, specifically in salmonids, beyond what she learns in her classes. Audrey hopes to formulate a research project around these fascinating fish. Outside of working in the Marine Science Center, she is a member of the sailing team and enjoys painting. Audrey is looking forward to continuing to expand her understanding of fish ecology!