Ron Kinnunen

Role
Works with coastal communities and businesses in the Upper Peninsula to apply science-based knowledge to address Great Lakes and Lake Superior, northern Lake Michigan and northern Lake Huron issues. Counties include Chippewa, Mackinac, Luce, Schoolcraft, Alger, Delta, Menominee, Iron, Dickinson, Marquette, Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, Ontonagon, and Gogebic (Also state-wide and Great Lakes wide).

Focus

• Works with state and tribal commercial fishermen to foster cooperation and promote understanding of state and federal regulations
• Trains fish processing enterprises to meet the requirements of the federal HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) food safety law
• Works with baitfish and aquaculture industries and government management agencies to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species by using a HACCP approach
• Promotes aquaculture in Michigan by serving on state and regional committees and serving as a consultant to aquaculture enterprises
• Works to promote water safety in the Upper Peninsula (rip and channel currents)
• Assists local communities in designating areas of historic shipwrecks and other significant underwater features

Professional Interests

• Commercial fishing
• Aquaculture
• Water resources management
• Aquatic nuisance species
• Fisheries management
• Underwater preserves
• Water safety

Professional Experience

• Upper Peninsula Sea Grant Extension agent since 1981.
• Acting Alger County Michigan State University Extension Director, 1988-89
• Fisheries Pathologist, Rangen Research Laboratory, Hagerman, Idaho, 1980-81
• Fisheries Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Leetown, WV, 1979-80

Education

• B.S. Michigan State University
• M.S. Michigan State University
• Ph.D. Michigan Technological University

Selected Publications

Summerfelt, R.C., R.D. Clayton, J.A. Johnson, R.E. Kinnunen. 2010. Production of walleye as potential food fish. North Central Regional Aquaculture Center Fact Sheet #116. NCRAC Publications Office, Iowa State University, Ames.

Muir, A.M., T.M. Sutton, M.T. Arts, R.M. Claramunt, M.P. Ebener, J.D. Fitzsimons, T.B. Johnson, R.E. Kinnunen, M.A. Koops, and M.M. Sepulveda. 2010. Does condition of lake whitefish spawners affect physiological condition of juveniles? Journal of Great Lakes Research 36:92-99.

Stockwell, J.D., M.P. Ebener, J.A. Black, O.T. Gorman, T.R. Hrabik, R.E. Kinnunen, W.P. Mattes, J.K. Oyadomari, S.T. Schram, D.R. Schreiner, M.J. Seider, S.P. Sitar, D.L. Yule. 2009. A synthesis of cisco recovery in Lake Superior: Implications for native fish rehabilitation in the Laurentian Great Lakes. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 29:626-652.

Ebener, M.P., R.E. Kinnunen, L.C. Mohr, P.J. Schneeberger, J.A. Hoyle, and P. Peeters. 2008. Management of commercial fisheries for lake whitefish in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. Pages 99–143 in M. G. Schechter, W. W. Taylor, and N. J. Leonard, editors. International governance of fisheries ecosystems: Learning from the past, finding solutions for the future. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 62, Bethesda, Maryland.

Kinnunen, R.E., M.C. Gould, and P. Cambier. 2005. Composting commercial fish processing waste from fish caught in the Michigan waters of the Great Lakes. Michigan State University Technical Bulletin. 40 pgs.

Pangle, K. L., T. M. Sutton, R. E. Kinnunen, and M. H. Hoff. 2005. Effects of body size, condition, and lipid content on the survival of juvenile lake herring during rapid cooling events. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31:360-366.

Pangle, K.L., T.M. Sutton, R.E. Kinnunen, M.H. Hoff. 2004. Overwinter survival of juvenile lake herring in relation to body size, physiological condition, energy stores, and food ration. Trans. Am. Fish Soc. Vol. 133 (5): 1235-1246.

Hinshaw, J.M., G. Fornshell, R.E. Kinnunen. 2004. A profile of the aquaculture of trout in the United States. Report for USDA Risk Management Agency, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, through Mississippi State University. 46 pgs.

Kinnunen, R.E., editor. 2002. Environmental Strategies for Aquaculture Symposium Proceedings (December 2000). 62nd Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Minneapolis, MN.  NCRAC CD Series #101, NCRAC Publications Office, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.

Gunderson, J.L. and R.E. Kinnunen. 2001. Aquatic nuisance species-Hazard analysis and critical control point training curriculum. Michigan Sea Grant Publication No. MSG-00-400.

Kinnunen, R.E.  2000. A white paper on the status and needs of salmonid aquaculture in the North Central Region. North Central Regional Aquaculture Center. Michigan State University.

Kinnunen, R.E. 1996. Walleye fingerling culture in undrainable ponds. Pages 135-145 in R.C. Summerfelt, editor. Walleye culture manual. NCRAC Culture Series #101, NCRAC Publications Office, Iowa State University, Ames.

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