DAVE HOPLER

DAVE HOPLER grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he fished for trout in the Pocono Mountains and saltwater species at the Jersey Shore. He developed an interest in the diversity of native fish in at an early age. Dave earned a B.S. in Fisheries from the University of Alaska and spent several years working in Alaska for consulting firms and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. In 1996, Dave moved to Virginia where he worked on American shad restoration with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries until 2002. Dave earned an M.S. in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Since 2003, he has been the Fish Ecology Laboratory Manager at VCU. One of his primary responsibilities is leading the INSTAR and Healthy Waters backpack electrofishing surveys. During this time Dave has personally surveyed the fish community in over 1,500 streams in Virginia. This has allowed Dave to see firsthand the amazing diversity of fish Virginia has to offer and the challenges facing many native species. Dave looks to use his experiences to promote the mission Native Fish Coalition. He can be reached at Info@NativeFishCoalition.org