Montana
University of Montana students dive into science of fisheries
MISSOULA – Whether it’s strapping into wetsuits to snorkel for data or bringing the lab streamside to sample fish, the University of Montana’s Fisheries Techniques class goes beyond classroom curriculum to get students hooked on the real-world applications of fisheries conservation and management.
Led by Andrew Whiteley, an associate professor of fisheries and conservation genomics in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, the class provides second-year students with opportunities to dive into the science of fisheries, literally. With fieldwork that includes snorkeling in the Blackfoot River Basin and Gold Creek, students can immerse themselves in learning while making meaningful contributions to the conservation of Montana’s aquatic ecosystems.
Whiteley’s vision is to empower students to address pressing issues facing fish in Montana and the wider Western region. Going beyond conventional learning, the class equips them with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle real-world challenges being seen in fisheries.
“At the heart of our class is the idea of applied management and conservation,” Whiteley said. “We discuss the big fisheries issues in the state, such as fragmentation of river and stream habitat and the influence of non-native fishes. We then learn about techniques and concepts fisheries biologists and researchers are using to inform data-driven solutions.”
Fisheries conservation and management is a high priority for a state where a staggering 1 million anglers travel to fish in its rivers and streams. The Fisheries Techniques class is just one of the ways the University is leading the charge in innovative research and education in fisheries management in the Western United States.
UM has been on the forefront of fisheries genetics research since the early 1970s, when Fred Allendorf, UM Regents Professor Emeritus of Biology, along with Robb Leary, a former UM biology professor, established one of the nation’s inaugural fish genetics laboratories.
Recognizing the potential of this burgeoning field, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks partnered with Allendorf and Leary on a statewide genetic survey of Montana’s native trout populations. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of one of the world’s most comprehensive databases on native trout.
Whitelely arrived at UM a few decades later, obtaining his doctorate in organismal biology and ecology in 2005. After a few years in the field, he fulfilled his dream of returning to UM in 2016.
Whiteley’s own research works on habitat fragmentation and the dynamics between native and non-native fish populations in dammed river systems. In 2017, he secured $800,000 from the National Science Foundation to conduct a five-year study on small populations of trout and whether genetic rescue — strategic relocation of fish to restore small and isolated populations — works as a tool for conservation. This award was a CAREER grant from NSF, the most prestigious award offered to junior faculty and is limited to only a handful of assistant professors each year.
Whiteley said he feels privileged to continue the legacy left by Allendorf and Leary as principal investigator of the Montana Conservation Genomics Lab. Ryan Kovach, the State of Montana fisheries geneticist, is housed at the UM lab, which continues to play a pivotal role in most decisions made by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in the realm of fisheries management.
“That’s somewhat unusual,” Whiteley said. “You can find states where it’s incorporated, but there are a ton of states where it’s not used nearly to the same extent. We are towards the top. I credit that to the longstanding relationship and trust-building Fred and Robb built with FWP.”
In both the field and the classroom, Whiteley’s students are actively involved in research aimed at informing the management of trout species by the state. They are at the forefront of addressing critical questions in conservation genomics, evolutionary biology and ecology — all geared towards maintaining healthy fish populations in Montana.
Collaborating closely with MFWP’s state fish geneticist and research scientists, Whiteley’s team furnishes genetic and genomics data, analyses and decision support pertaining to various species, including westslope cutthroat trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, bull trout, Arctic grayling and more.
“Our collaboration with MFWP and other agencies is instrumental in informing fisheries’ management decisions,” Whiteley said. “We analyze thousands of samples annually, and the partnership underscores our commitment to preserving Montana’s native fish and their habitats.”
The students’ contributions extend beyond Montana, providing valuable data and research to entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Undergraduate student Max Posey, now a senior majoring in the terrestrial track of wildlife biology, took the Fisheries Techniques class in fall of 2021. He describes a field trip where he witnessed electrofishing — a nonlethal method of gathering fish data — for the first time.
The process involves a small crew of three or four students who hike to a stream with a backpack that can produce small and controllable electrical output. Wading into the stream, the students then direct electrical probes to temporarily stun fish so they can net them and collect data from each fish. Through this practical application, students can accurately collect demographic information on the fish such as species and size range, which ultimately provides estimates of populations in a stream.
“The two most essential things I got from the class were that this type of work is enjoyable and applicable,” Posey said. “It’s as hands-on as it gets, and you’re able to gather a lot of really important data in the process.”
For Posey, the journey from the classroom to the stream was enough to get him officially committed to fisheries management. He worked for Nevada’s Department of Wildlife the following summer and believes he was chosen for the position because of the Fisheries Techniques class. He now plans to become a fisheries biologist and hopes to continue working with Whiteley in UM’s graduate school.
Classes led by Whiteley are meant to expose students to fun fieldwork that helps them understand the key challenges now impacting Montana’s aquatic ecosystems. His hope is to prepare students like Posey for future careers in biology while also instilling a deep sense of stewardship for Montana’s natural resources.
Passion stirred up by the class is already having ripple effects, as one student expressed following a snorkeling field trip:
“This is exactly what I thought I would do when I came to Montana.”
University of Montana student Jacob Steinle snorkels Rattlesnake Creek near Missoula as part of his Fisheries Techniques class. (UM photo by Ryan Brennecke) University of Montana student Jacob Steinle snorkels Rattlesnake Creek near Missoula as part of his Fisheries Techniques class. (UM photo by Ryan Brennecke)
BOZEMAN — Aaron Flint and Al Olszewski, Republican candidates for Montana’s Western District U.S. House race, squared off Tuesday in their party’s only scheduled debate before the party primary.
The two debated for about 90 minutes at Bozeman’s Calvary Chapel before an audience of about 120 people. Bozeman anchors Gallatin County, which is second in Republican votes only to Flathead County within the 18-county district.
Natural resource jobs, affordable housing and U.S. military attacks on Iran dominated the discussion. Each question drew 12 minutes of response. Both men called for an end to stock trading by members of Congress, and for federal budgets to be passed on time through regular procedures.
The Montana GOP sponsored the debate. Candidate Christi Jacobsen, Montana’s secretary of state, was unable to attend, according to state Republican Party Chair Art Wittich. State Senate President Matt Regier moderated.
Among the highlights: Flint mentioned no fewer than eight times that he is endorsed by President Donald Trump. Olszewski mentioned Trump by name only a couple of times.
Never too far from Flint’s talking points were “far-left socialists,” whom he credited for “gerrymandering” the Western House District (which has delivered comfortable wins for Republicans since first appearing on the ballot in 2022). The 2026 election cycle was the target of Democrats on the state’s districting commission, Flint said. (Both Democrats on the commission that drew the district in 2021 voted against its current configuration.)
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The near faux pas of the night came during Olszewski’s discussion of good-paying jobs in trades and natural resources: “Trades jobs, natural resource jobs, you know, high-dollar, white-collar jobs, our remote workers who have moved into Montana, and we’ve adapted an economy around them. You know, these are the people, and those are the jobs that will bring our kids home, those high-paying white-collar jobs, or a good natural resource job in western Montana, in one of those mines, or, you know, you know, a sawyer or a hooker” — big pause — “as in timber, not the other way around.”
The line that didn’t land: Flint tried and failed to get audience applause for the 2024 defeat of Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester by Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy — an unseating Flint campaigned for.
“How many of you out there are so glad that we finally got rid of the flip-flop, flat-top liberal senator, Jon Tester? How many of you are so glad we finally did that?”
After a silence, Flint explained to people watching the debate on Facebook that the audience was just being polite.
“They’re waving because we can’t have disruptions. See, they’re good rule followers here in the Republican Party,” Flint said.
Asked how to alleviate Montana’s housing affordability crisis:
Olszewski: “The only way you can afford an expensive house is you’ve got to have a job that pays good money. Tourist jobs provide rent and roommates. Trades jobs, natural resource jobs, high‑dollar white‑collar jobs … those are the jobs that will bring our kids home.” Dr. Al, as Olszewski is widely known, said Wall Street investment buyers are distorting housing prices and the federal government has weakened the dollar.
Flint: “Thirty percent of the cost of a home is all due to red tape and regulations … It costs $100,000 to build a home before you even put a hole in the ground.”
Flint said reviving Montana’s timber industry would lower home values and added, “I support President Trump’s ban on these big Wall Street firms buying single-family homes. I think that’s something that we’ve got to get across the finish line.”
“We can deliver when it comes to making the Montana dream affordable again by delivering affordable housing. But another piece is promoting trades and trades education to build up our workforce.”
Asked how Congress should respond to the Iran conflict:
Olszewski: “I supported our president with what happened in Venezuela. There’s a $25 million bounty on basically someone that was killing our people through drugs, right? I’m not so happy with what’s going on in the Iran war. I’m not a warrior. I’m a physician from the military that fixed military people … What my perspective is, is that countries can win wars, but people do not. They don’t come back.” Olszewski said Congress will have to decide whether to authorize further use of military force and set terms in about 10 days.
Flint: “Let me just say this. We are sick and tired of these forever wars, and we do not want to see a long-term boots-on-the-ground Iraq-style nation-building exercise, and I think President Trump shares that mission as well. Let me also say this about Iran. First off, [former Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro is behind bars. [Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei is dead, but the far-left socialists are on the march in Montana.”
Asked about reforming Congress:
Olszewski: “What our congressmen and congresswomen have to understand is that if you’re in the House, the House belongs to the people, and they need to, first and foremost, represent you, not themselves, not special interests. It’s not about sound-bites. It’s about actually getting work done and governing.” Olszewski said the House needs to pass a budget based on 12 agency appropriations bills before the end of each federal fiscal year, a process known as “regular order.”
Flint: “We need to return to regular order and get single-subject bills and get these appropriations bills done one by one. If they can’t get a budget done, they shouldn’t get paid. And we need a ban on congressional stock trading. Because I think part of the reason why the American people are so frustrated with Congress right now is because … they believe that Congress is so useless, because we’ve got some of these politicians back there that are getting rich off the backs of taxpayers.”
Neither candidate offered a plan for cutting taxes, once a staple of Republican platforms. Both supported reductions in federal spending without identifying particular cuts.
Voting in Montana’s 2026 primary election begins May 4 and ends June 2.
POLSON, Mont. — Two motorcyclists crashed on Highway 35 near Polson after failing to negotiate a left-hand curve, leaving one man dead and another hospitalized, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.
Two motorcycles were traveling southbound on Highway 35 when both drifted into a guardrail. Both drivers were separated from their motorcycles and ended up on the other side of the guardrail.
A 58-year-old Polson man was confirmed dead at the scene. The second driver, a 45-year-old man, also from Polson, was taken to the hospital with injuries.
Alcohol is a suspected factor in the crash, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.
The crash is under investigation.
KALISPELL — A Flathead County man is turning a personal rock bottom into a lifeline for his community by starting a free, late-night ride service to keep drunk drivers off the roads.
Adam Bruzza started Big Sky Sobriety Shuttle LLC, a free ride share service for people who have been drinking, after realizing he was struggling with addiction.
Maddie Keifer reports – watch the video here:
MT man starts free, late-night ride service to keep drunk drivers off the roads
“I just wanted to give people who do still drink the option for a safe, sober ride home,” Bruzza said.
Bruzza said a devastating mistake behind the wheel became a turning point where he decided enough was enough.
“I was charged with a DUI October 22 of 2024,” Bruzza said.
After a few months focused on his sobriety, Bruzza channeled his energy into his community by starting the shuttle service.
He operates the shuttle in his personal pickup truck. Riders can reach him by phone, text or social media at any time of day or night at no cost.
“I just wanted to give others the opportunity to not get a life changing charge,” Bruzza said.
Bruzza works with bars to connect riders with his service. Although the Big Sky Sobriety Shuttle is a new endeavor, he has already seen a big impact.
“The community response without a doubt has been unconditional love and support that makes my heart all warm and fuzzy,” Bruzza said.
Bruzza also shared a message for others who may be struggling with addiction.
“Your life is worth it, there are people that care out there and it is okay to ask for help,” Bruzza said.
To learn more, click here to visit the Facebook page.
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