Learn more about the Ichthyology department.
Point Stephens Research
P.O. Box 210307
Auke Bay, Alaska 99821-0307
Phone: 907-789-7603
ptstephens@alaskan.com
Research Areas
Taxonomy and zoogeography of Arctic marine fishes. An atlas and identification guide to the Marine Fishes of the Arctic Region was published on February 14, 2018, in two volumes:
Volume 1: https://caff.is/marine/marine-monitoring-publications/451-marine-fishes-of-the-arctic-region-vol-1
Volume 2: https://caff.is/marine/marine-monitoring-publications/452-marine-fishes-of-the-arctic-region-vol-2
Genetic barcoding as an aid for taxonomy and identification. Collaborators are focusing on completion of a pan-Arctic barcode reference library for fishes.
Monitoring fish biodiversity in relation to global climate change; e.g., participation in expeditions to the Arctic Ocean, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas with the Russian-American Long-Term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/rusalca/), and Greenland and Norwegian Seas with the TUNU-Programme of the University of Tromsø, Norway.
Professional Positions Held
U.S. member, Fish Expert Network (co-Chair with Canada, 2012-2013), Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program, 2009-2017. http://www.caff.is/monitoring
Research Associate, Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, 2006-present.
Field Associate, Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 2002-2006.
Private consultant, ichthyology, dba Point Stephens Research, 1991-present.
Private consultant and owner of Point Stephens Press, editor and publication specialist, fish and fisheries, 1979-1990.
Research Analyst, Alaska Office of Coastal Management, Juneau, Alaska, 1979-1981.
Technical Editor, NOAA, NMFS, Auke Bay Fisheries Laboratory, Juneau, Alaska, 1975-1978.
Fisheries Biologist, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Homer, Alaska, 1974-1975.
Assistant Professor, Physical Anthropology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 1970-1973.
Experience Related to Arctic Studies
University of Tromsø, Norway, RV Helmer Hanssen, TUNU-V and -VI fisheries research expeditions to northeast Greenland, August 2013 and August 2015
Russian Federation ship Professor Khromov, multidisciplinary cruise. PI: Adult and juvenile benthic and demersal fishes. Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Borderland, August 2012
Russian Federation ship Professor Khromov, multidisciplinary cruise. PI: Adult and juvenile benthic and demersal fishes. Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Borderland, September 2009
NOAA ship Oscar Dyson, fisheries cruise. PI: Identification, tissue collection, and photography of pelagic and benthic fishes. Chukchi Sea, September 2007.
Russian Federation ship Professor Khromov, multidisciplinary cruise. Co-PI: Adult and juvenile benthic and demersal fishes. Chukchi Sea, August 2004.
USFWS vessel Tiglax, member of fish team for resource surveys of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge: Semidi Islands, Gulf of Alaska, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2007; Norton Sound, Bering Sea, 2002; central Aleutian Islands, 2003; Pribilof Islands, 2005.
California Academy of Sciences, Hokkaido University Museum of Zoology, National Museum of Canada, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of British Columbia, University of Washington: Research on taxonomy and distribution of North Pacific and Arctic fishes; 1991–present.
Point Stephens Research: Identification and preservation of northern fishes: e.g., recent collections by University of Alaska Fairbanks, Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea in 2009-2012; Hokkaido University, Chukchi Sea in 2007 and 2008; Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, Norton Sound, Bering Sea in 2006; NOAA Ocean Exploration, Canada Basin in 2005; University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea in 2003; National Park Service, surveys of Glacier Bay National Park in 2000–2002.
Recent Publications and Reports
Mecklenburg, C. W., A. Lynghammar, E. Johannesen, I. Byrkjedal. J. S. Christiansen, A. V. Dolgov, O. V. Karamushko, T. A. Mecklenburg, P. R. Møller, D. Steinke, and R. M. Wienerroither. 2018. Marine Fishes of the Arctic Region. Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, Akureyri, Iceland. 740 pages in 2 volumes, ISBN 978-9935-431-69-1 and ISBN 978-9935-431-70-7.
Stevenson, D. E., C. W. Mecklenburg, and Y. Kai. 2017. Taxonomic clarification of the Eumicrotremus asperrimus species complex (Teleostei: Cyclopteridae) in the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 4294 (4): 419–435
Mecklenburg, C. W., T. A. Mecklenburg, B. A. Sheiko, and D. Steinke. 2016. Pacific Arctic marine fishes. Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, Akureyri, Iceland. 398 pp. ISBN: 978-9935-431-55-4.
Mecklenburg, C. W., and D. Steinke. 2015. Ichthyofaunal baselines in the Pacific Arctic region and RUSALCA study area. Oceanography 28(3): 158–189, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2015.64.
Mecklenburg, C. W., and M. E. Anderson. 2015. Reassessment of multiple species of Gymnelus (Teleostei: Zoarcidae) in Pacific Arctic and boreal regions. Zootaxa 3948(2): 263–288.
Mecklenburg, C. W., I. Byrkjedal, O. V. Karamushko, and P. R. Møller. 2014. Atlantic fishes in the Chukchi Borderland. Marine Biodiversity 44: 127-150.
Christiansen, J. S., C. W. Mecklenburg, and O. V. Karamushko. 2013. Arctic marine fishes and their fisheries in light of global change. Global Change Biology 20(2): 352-359.
Lynghammar, A., J. S. Christiansen, C. W. Mecklenburg, O. V. Karamushko, P. R. Møller, and V. F. Gallucci. 2013. Species richness and distribution of chondrichthyan fishes in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. Biodiversity 14: 57-66.
Mecklenburg, C. W., P. R. Møller, and D. Steinke. 2011. Biodiversity of arctic marine fishes: taxonomy and zoogeography. Marine Biodiversity 41(1):109–140. Includes electronic supplementary material (Online Resources 1–5), downloadable online by Marine Biodiversity subscribers, or may be obtained from ptstephens@alaskan.com.
Mecklenburg, C. W., and T. A. Mecklenburg. October 2010. Taxonomy and zoogeography of Arctic marine fishes and detection of change. RUSALCA 2009 Postcruise Workshop, Tivat, Serbia and Montenegro. Download at: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/rusalca/sites/default/files/atoms/files/MecklenburgRUSALCArev17Feb2011.pdf
Mecklenburg, C. W., D. L. Stein, B. A. Sheiko, N. V. Chernova, T. A. Mecklenburg, and B. A. Holladay. 2007. Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic: Benthic fishes trawled in the Chukchi Sea and Bering Strait, August 2004. Northwestern Naturalist 88: 168-187.
Gharrett, A. J., C. W. Mecklenburg, L. W. Seeb, Z. Li, A. P. Matala, A. K. Gray, and J. Heifetz. 2006. Coloration and morphological comparisons of genetically distinct rougheye rockfish sibling species. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 135: 791-800.
Love, M., C. W. Mecklenburg, T. A. Mecklenburg, and L. K. Thorsteinson. 2005. Resource inventory of marine and estuarine fishes of the West Coast and Alaska. OCS Study MMS 2005-030 and USGS/NBII 2005-001. 288 pp.
Mecklenburg, C. W., and B. A. Sheiko. 2004. Family Stichaeidae Gill 1864 - pricklebacks. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes No. 26. 28 pp.
Sheiko, B. A., and C. W. Mecklenburg. 2004. Family Agonidae Swainson 1839 - poachers. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes No. 27. 24 pp.
Mecklenburg, C. W. 2003. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes:
- Family Anoplopomatidae Jordan & Gilbert 1883 - sablefishes. No. 2. 3 pp.
- Family Rhamphocottidae Gill 1888 - grunt sculpins. No. 4. 2 pp.
- Family Hemitripteridae Gill 1872 - sea ravens or sailfin sculpins. No. 5. 6 pp.
- Family Bathymasteridae Jordan & Gilbert 1883 - ronquils. No. 7. 4 pp.
- Family Cryptacanthodidae Gill 1861 - wrymouths. No. 8. 4 pp.
- Family Pholidae Gill 1893 - gunnels. No. 9. 11 pp.
- Family Anarhichadidae Bonaparte 1846 - wolffishes. No. 10. 6 pp.
- Family Scytalinidae Jordan & Evermann 1898 - graveldivers. No. 11. 3 pp.
- Family Ptilichthyidae Jordan & Gilbert 1883 - quillfishes. No. 12. 3 pp.
- Family Zaproridae Jordan & Evermann 1898 - prowfishes. No. 13. 3 pp.
- Family Icosteidae Jordan & Gilbert 1880 - ragfishes. No. 14. 4 pp.
Mecklenburg, C. W., and W. N. Eschmeyer. 2003. Family Hexagrammidae Gill 1889 - greenlings. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes No. 3. 10 pp.
Mecklenburg, C. W., and B. A. Sheiko. 2003. Family Cyclopteridae Bonaparte 1831 - lumpsuckers. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes No. 6. 17 pp.
Mecklenburg, C. W., T. A. Mecklenburg, and L. K. Thorsteinson. 2002. Fishes of Alaska. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxxvii + 1,037 pp. + 40 plates.
Share This
Daniel M. Cohen
Research Associate
David A. Ebert
Program Director / Adjunct Faculty
Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Mark Van N. Erdmann
Senior Advisor
Conservation International Indonesia Marine Program
Carl J. Ferraris
Research Associate
Michelle R. Gaither
Research Associate
David W. Greenfield
Research Associate
Emeritus Professor, Univ. of Hawaii
Robert N. Lea
Research Associate
Douglas J. Long
Research Associate
Catherine W. Mecklenburg
Point Stephens Research
Rita S. Mehta
Assistant Professor University of California, Santa Cruz
David A. Neely
Research Associate
William J. Poly
Research Associate
Stuart G. Poss
Research Associate
Graham Short
Research Associate
The Department of Ichthyology is home to one of the largest and most important collections of fishes in the world, and is designated as one of eight International Centers for Ichthyology in North America. Meet the researchers, explore projects and expeditions, and more.