Education

• B.S. Biology, University of Michigan
• M.S. Biology, University of Michigan
• Ph.D. Marine Ecology, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Research Interests

I am broadly interested in the ecology of estuarine and coastal shallow water environments and habitat use of coastal fishes. A central goal of my research is to support the development of restoration/conservation strategies and decision-tools for coastal ecosystems. Much of my recent research has been aimed at improving our ability to quantify the effect of multiple coastal stressors, such as land use, shoreline and climate change, on nearshore fish and benthic communities and their habitats. Better understanding of the mechanisms and processes that control and link terrestrial and aquatic resources will aid in the management and conservation of critical ecosystem functions and services. During the past several years, I have developed and applied integrative indices for measures of fish community integrity in the estuarine nearshore, and quantified ecological thresholds of shoreline and riparian development. Throughout, I have pursued the development and use of geospatial tools such as GIS and spatial analysis to evaluate and model living marine resources and their associated habitats with management applications. This includes the application of spatially-explicit approaches to identify, evaluate and quantify habitat suitability for estuarine fauna. In addition, I co-manage a derelict trap removal program that strives to link research, management and commercial interests (watermen) to address marine debris in Virginia.

Current Projects

• Ecological and erosion protection functions of Chesapeake Bay living shorelines. 2010-2011. Funded by Chesapeake Bay Trust.
• Assessing the potential for climate-driven changes in Virginia's shallow tidal water habitats. NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program.  Co-PI with C. Hershner and M. Berman. 
• The influence of spatial arrangement of habitats on fish communities within Mobjack Bay, Virginia, Funded by NOAA-CBO.
• Atlantic sturgeon spawning habitat on the James River. 2007-2009. Funded by NOAA-CBO and USFWS.
• Derelict blue crab trap removal program-Virginia. NOAA, 2008-2011. Co-PI with K. Havens.
• Abandoned & derelict blue crab traps in Virginia. NOAA (Versar). 2008-09. Co-PI with K. Havens
• Lynnhaven River Shallow Water Fish Survey and Shoreline Inventory. Funded by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Ecosystem approaches to aquatic health assessment:  linking subtidal habitat quality, shoreline condition and estuarine fish communities. Funded by NOAA-CBO.

Selected Publications

• Havens K.J., D.M. Bilkovic, D. Stanhope, K. Angstadt. 2011. Fishery failure, unemployed commercial fishers, and lost blue crab pots: An unexpected success story.  Environmental Science & Policy, Volume 14, Issue 4, Pages 445-450.
• Havens K.J., D.M. Bilkovic, D. Stanhope, K. Angstadt. 2009. Location, location, location: the importance of cull ring placement in blue crab traps. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 138:720-724.
• Perry, J., D.M. Bilkovic, K. Havens, and C. Hershner. 2009. Tidal Freshwater Marshes of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. In Tidal Freshwater Wetlands, pp. 157-166. Eds: A. Barendregt, D.F. Whigham, A.H. Baldwin; Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands. 
• Bilkovic, D.M. and M. Roggero. 2008. Effects of coastal development on nearshore estuarine nekton communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series  358:27-39.
• K.J. Havens, D.M. Bilkovic, D. Stanhope, K. Angstadt, and C. Hershner. 2008. The effects of derelict blue crab traps on marine organisms in the Lower York River, Virginia. N.Am. J. of Fish. Manag. 28(4):1194-1200.
• Havens, K.J. C. H.Hershner, D.M. Bilkovic and D.H. Wardrop. 2007. Assessment of Chesapeake Bay Program Selection and Use of Indicators. EcoHealth. 4(2): 187-193.
• Wardrop, D.H., C. Hershner, K. Havens, K. Thornton and D.M. Bilkovic. 2007. Developing and communicating a taxonomy of ecological indicators: A case study from the Mid-Atlantic. EcoHealth. 4(2): 179-186.
• Bilkovic, D.M., M. Roggero, C.H. Hershner, K.H. Havens. 2006. Influence of land use on macrobenthic communities in nearshore estuarine habitats.  Estuaries & Coasts 29(6B):1185-1195.
• Bilkovic, D.M., C.H. Hershner, M.R. Berman, K.J. Havens and D.M. Stanhope. December 2005.  Evaluating Estuarine Indicators of Ecosystem Health in the Nearshore of Chesapeake Bay. In S.A.  Bortone (ed.). Estuarine Indicators. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida.                                                                                                                 
• Bilkovic, D.M., C.H. Hershner and J.E. Olney. 2002. Macroscale assessment of American shad Spawning and nursery habitats in the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 22(4): 1176-1192.
• Bilkovic, D.M., J. E. Olney and C. H. Hershner. 2002. Spawning of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers, Virginia. Fishery Bulletin 100(3): 632-640.

Recent Presentations

• D.M. Bilkovic, K. Angstadt, D. Stanhope, February 23-25, 2009. Identification of suitable spawning substrate for Atlantic sturgeon with acoustic technologies. Seaboard Fisheries Institute 1st Symposium on Atlantic Sturgeon - A Regional Approach to Atlantic Sturgeon Recovery. Newark, Delaware.
• D.M. Bilkovic, M. Berman, C. Hershner, D. Schatt. October 20-24, 2008. Climate change induced shifts in shallow tidal water habitats in the Chesapeake Bay. 5th World Fisheries Congress. Yokohama, Japan  
• Bilkovic, D.M. and M.R. Berman. Shallow Water Use Studies and Shoreline Inventory. June 2007. Presented to the The Lynnhaven Ecosystem Restoration Project, led by U.S Army Corps of Engineers. Project page
• Bilkovic, D.M., other ASC researchers.  Coastal development impacts on biological communities in the Chesapeake Bay- Examples from the Atlantic Slope Consortium. December 2006.Living Shorelines Summit. Bringing together diverse perspectives to address shoreline protection alternatives, Williamsburg, Virginia. Keynote speaker.  Presentation
• Bilkovic, D.M., C.H. Hershner, D.M. Stanhope and K.T. Angstadt. Ecosystem approaches to aquatic condition assessment:  linking subtidal habitat, shoreline condition and estuarine fish communities. Session: SPS-19 Innovative Techniques for Assessing Fish and Invertebrate Habitat Linkages in Estuaries and Coastal Systems.  The 18th Biennial Conference of the Estuarine Research Federation. October 16-20, 2005. Norfolk, Virginia. Presentation
• Bilkovic, D.M., C.H. Hershner, K.J. Havens, M.R. Berman, D.M. Stanhope and L.Varnell. June 20-25, 2004. Assessment of Linkages between Nearshore Habitat and Estuarine Fish Communities in the Chesapeake Bay. ECSA37-ERF2004. Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. Presentation
• Olney, J.E., D.M. Bilkovic, C.H. Hershner, L.M. Varnell, H. Wang, and R.L. Mann. Six fish and 600,000 Thirsty Folks; A Fishing Moratorium on American Shad Thwarts a Controversial Municipal Reservoir Project in Virginia, USA ; Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA. A poster presented at the 4th World Fish Congress in Vancouver, BC, Canada, May 2004. Poster

Professional Affiliations

• Chesapeake Bay Program's Scientific and Technical Advisory Committe (STAC), 2010-2014
• American Fisheries Society & Early Life History Section of AFS
• Ecological Society of America
• Atlantic Estuarine Research Society