Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Aquatic Research Scientist
Eastern Plains Native Fishes

Contact Information

Aquatic Research Group
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
317 West Prospect Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Phone: (970) 472-4336
Email: ryan.fitzpatrick@state.co.us​

Education

• ​Ph.D. Candidate, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – Colorado State University, Present
• M.S., Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – Colorado State University, 2008
• B.S., Finance and Management – Iowa State University, 2000​

Areas of Interest/Expertise

My primary research examines plains fish ecology, native species conservation, anthropogenic impacts to streams, fish movement, and otolith microchemistry. However, I am also involved in projects dealing with optimal sampling protocols, endocrine disrupting compounds, irrigation recharge, and fish passage.​

Current or Recent Positions

• ​Aquatic Research Scientist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2011-Present
• Aquatic Conservation Biologist, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 2007-2011
• Aquatic Technician, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 2006
• Research Associate, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2004-2008
• Aquatic Technician, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2003-2004

Current or Recent Research Projects

• ​Anthropogenic impacts affect probability of persistence for eastern plains native fishes in Colorado
• Flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis) movement in Fountain Creek, Colorado
• Spatial and optimal monitoring for plains fishes in Colorado
• Endocrine disrupting compounds impact on Colorado’s eastern plains native fishes
• Improving rock ramp fishways for small-bodies plains fishes
• Training of hatchery reared fish to enhance antipredator behavior and increase  survival

Selected Publications

Adams, C. A., D. L. Winkelman, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Impacts of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban South Platte tributaries. Frontiers in Environmental Science 11:457.

Baum, C. M., D. L. Winkelman, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Temperature and winter duration requirements for reproductive success in Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado. Freshwater Biology 68(7): 1238-1251.

Fitzpatrick, R. M., D. Longrie, R. Friebertshauser, and P. Foutz. 2023. Evaluation of a prefabricated fish passage structure for Great Plains fishes. Fishes 2023, 8, 403.

Kopack, C. J., E. D. Broder, E. R. Fetherman, R. M. Fitzpatrick, and L. M. Angeloni. 2023. Assessing antipredator behavior and the potential to enhance it in a species of conservation concern. North American Journal of Aquaculture 85:136-145.

Kopack, C. J., E. R. Fetherman, E. D. Broder, R. M. Fitzpatrick, and L. M. Angeloni. 2023. The effects of abiotic enrichment and predator training on the behavior,morphology, and survival of a species of conservation concern. Conservation Science and Practice, e12999.

Swarr, T. R., C. A. Myrick, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Design, construction, and hydraulic evaluation of a model rock ramp fishway. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 43(4): 935-946.

Adams, C. M., D. L. Winkelman, P. A. Schaffer, D. L. Villeneuve, J. E. Cavallin, M. Ellman, K. S. Rodriguez, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2022. Elevated winter stream temperatures below wastewater treatment plants shifts reproductive development of Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum: a field and histological approach. Fishes 7:361.

Ciepiela, L. R., R. M. Fitzpatrick, S. T. Lewis, and Y. Kanno. 2021. Behavioral interactions between a native and an invasive fish species in a thermally heterogeneous experimental chamber. Fishes 2021(6):1–13.

Fitzpatrick, R. M., D. L. Winkelman, and B. M. Johnson. 2021. Using isotopic data to evaluate Esox lucius (Linnaeus, 1758) natal origins in a hydrologically complex river basin. Fishes 2021(6):1–14.

Swarr, T. R., C. A. Myrick, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2021. Tag effects in and effects of passive integrated transponder tagging on survival and swimming performance of a small-bodied darter. Journal of Fish Biology 2022:1–10.

Gibson-Reinemer, D. K., F. J. Rahel, S. E. Albeke, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2017. Natural and anthropogenic barriers to climate tracking in river fishes along a mountain-plains transition zone. Diversity and Distributions 7:761-770.

Bestgen, K. R., H. J. Crockett, M. Haworth, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Production of non-adhesive eggs by flathead chub and implications for downstream transport and conservation. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 7(2): 434-443.​

Broms, K. M., M. B. Hooten, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Model selection and assessment for multi-species occupancy models. Ecology 97(7):1759-1770.

Gibson-Reinemer, D. K., F. J. Rahel, S. E. Albeke and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2017. Natural and anthropogenic barriers to climate tracking in river fishes along a mountain-plains transition zone. Diversity and Distributions 23(7):761-770.

Broms, K. M., M. B. Hooten, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2015. Accounting for imperfect detection in Hill numbers for biodiversity studies. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 6:99-108.

Walters, D. M., R. E. Zuellig, H. C. Crockett, J. F. Bruce, P. M. Lukacs, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2014. Barriers impede upstream spawning migration of flathead chub. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 143:17-25.

Fitzpatrick, R. M. 2008. Use of otolith elemental signatures in estimating sources of northern pike recruitment in the Yampa River, Colorado. Master’s thesis. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University. Fort Collins, Colorado

Fitzpatrick, Ryan