Nicholas Sard

Research

I am an evolutionary ecologist that is broadly interested in the evolution of life history traits, demography, and conservation. My lab works with state and federal agencies to apply genetics-based approaches when answering questions relevant to species of conservation concern. My career has focused on studying aquatic species, many of which reside in the Great Lakes basin. 

Specialty areas:

• Molecular ecology
• Conservation biology
• Bioinformatics

Publications

• Scribner, K.T., G. Uhrig, J. Kanefsky, N.M. Sard, M. Holtgren, C. Jerome, and S. Ogren. 2022. Pedigree-based decadal estimates of lake sturgeon adult spawning numbers and genetic diversity of stream-side hatchery produced offspring. Journal of Great Lakes Research 48(2), pp.551-564.
• Bucholz, J.R., N.M. Sard, T. Morris, and D.T. Zanatta. 2022. Weak genetic structure among populations of Obovaria olivaria (Bivalvia: Unionidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Ecology and Evolution 12(1), p.e8560.
• Sard, N.H., Hunter, R., Edward F. Roseman, Daniel B. Hayes, Robin L. DeBruyne, and Kim T. Scribner. 2021. Pedigree Accumulation Analysis: Combining Methods from Community Ecology and Population Genetics to Estimate Spawning Adult Numbers. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 12(12), pp.2388-2396.
• Brown, T., B. Weidel, L. Rustam, J. Holden, M. Connerton, D. Gorsky, C. Karboski, M. Chalupnicki, N.M. Sard, L. Ressegguie, S. Prindle, M. Sanderson, M. Todd, J. Gardner Costa,T. Evans, A. Cooper, A. Lau, D. Reinhart, C. Davis, S. Sethi. 2021. Contemporary spatial extent and environmental drivers of larval coregonine distributions across Lake Ontario. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 48(2), pp.359-370.
• Pukk, L. J. Kanefsky, A.L. Heathman, E.M. Weise, L.R. Nathan, S.J. Herbst, N.M. Sard, K.T. Scribner and J.D. Robinson. 2021. eDNA metabarcoding in lakes to quantify influences of landscape features and human activity on aquatic invasive prevalence and fish community diversity. Diversity and Distributions 27(10): 2016-2031. 
• Gehri, R.R., W.A. Larson, K. Gruenthal, N.M. Sard, and Y. Shi. 2021. eDNA metabarcoding outperforms traditional fisheries sampling and reveals fine-scale heterogeneity in a temperate freshwater lake. Environmental DNA 3(5): 912-929.
• Sard, N.M., S. Smith, J. Homola, J. Kanefsky, G. Bravener, J. Adams, C. Holbrook, P. Hrodey, K. Tallon, and K.T. Scribner. 2020. RAPTURE (RAD Capture) panel facilitates characterization of Sea Lamprey Reproductive Ecology and Movement Dynamics. Ecology and Evolution 10.3: 1469-1488.
• Weise, E.M., N.M. Sard, and K.T. Scribner. 2020. Adaptive genetic management: assessing the benefits of translocations. Conservation Genetics Jan 24:1-1.
• Hunter, R.D., E.F. Roseman, N.M. Sard, R.L. DeBruyen, Jinliang Wang, and K.T. Scribner. 2020. Genetic family reconstruction characterizes Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) use of newly constructed spawning habitat and larval dispersal. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society.
• Hunter, R.D., E.F. Roseman, N.M. Sard, D.B. Hayes, T.O. Brenden, R.L. DeBruyen, and K.T. Scribner. 2020. Egg and Larval Collection Methods Affect Spawning Adult Numbers Inferred by Pedigree Analysis. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 40(2), 307-319.
• Sard, N.M., J. Robinson., S. Herbst, J. Kanefsky, and K.T. Scribner. 2019. Comparison of fish detections, community diversity, and relative abundance using environmental DNA metabarcoding and traditional gears.  Environmental DNA 1:368–384.
• Bartron, M.L., N.M. Sard, and K.T. Scribner. 2017. Evaluation of inbreeding effective size and coancestry among commonly used hatchery mating strategies. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 147:185-194.
• Sard, N.M., D.P., Jacobson, and M.A., Banks. 2016. Grandparentage assignments identify unexpected adfluvial life history tactic contributing offspring to a reintroduced population. Ecology and Evolution. 6: 6773-6783.
• Sard, N.M., M.A., Johnson, D.P., Jacobson, M.J., Hogansen, K.G., O’Malley and M.A., Banks. 2016. Genetic monitoring guides adaptive management of a migratory fish reintroduction. Animal Conservation. 19: 570-577.
• Evans, M.L., S.J., Shry, D.P., Jacobson, N.M. Sard, and K.G., O'Malley. 2015.  Functional gene diversity and migration timing in reintroduced Chinook salmon. Conservation Genetics, 16(6): 1455-1464.
• Sard, N.M., K.G, O’Malley, D.P, Jacobson, M.J., Hogansen, M.A., Johnson, and M.A., Banks. 2015. Factors influencing spawner success in a spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reintroduction program.

Canadian Education

• Ph.D. in Fisheries Science, Oregon State University, 2016
• M.S. in Biology, State University of New York at Fredonia, 2011
• B.S. in Biology, State University of New York at Fredonia, 2009