Tom is a fisheries ecologist at PEARL with research interests that focus on ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM) of the Chesapeake. Specifically, Tom has developed a range of ecosystem modeling tools (applying mainly the Atlantis modeling approach and Ecopath with Ecosim) that integrate the best available information available for the Chesapeake environment, to predict the effects of the major stressors and changes in this system on our harvested populations like oysters, striped bass, and blue crab. The effects of factors that Tom has focused on to date include: nutrient management (the USEPA's TMDL, i.e., "Total Maximum Daily Load" requirements for the jurisdictions in the Bay watershed), habitat loss (submerged aquatic vegetation, and marsh), habitat restoration (oysters), and invasive blue catfish. Tom holds both a PhD in marine fisheries stock assessment and a Masters in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (College of William & Mary), and completed his post-doctoral work in recreational fisheries while with the University of Maryland at the Chesapeake Biological Lab.