Dr. Chuck Cichra began his fisheries career in 1973 as a summer intern working on the biology and ecology of a native crayfish, Orconectes virilis, inhabiting small Michigan lakes. His master’s research examined the effects of stream modification on the water quality, fish and invertebrate communities of Ohio streams. His doctoral research focused on the fisheries management of small Texas reservoirs. For two years, he assisted the Extension Fish Disease Specialist of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.

Extensive experience with computers and applied statistics resulted in Cichra’s working for more than two years as a full-time computer consultant for the Texas A&M University System.

Dr. Cichra joined Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in July 1986. Currently, he is a Professor and the Fisheries Extension Specialist for Florida. His personal extension programs include pond and lake management and youth education. He is the director of Fishing for Success, a program through which children (K-12) learn about fishing and the aquatic environment. Dr. Cichra’s research and teaching programs focus on fish population sampling, fish ecology and fisheries management.

His research and teaching programs focus on limnology, fish ecology/biology, and fisheries management. The overall objective of his research program is to determine the interrelationship between fish populations and their abiotic and biotic environment, including human impacts. His long-term goal is to provide a sound scientific framework for developing management practices for freshwater systems. He has served on almost 140 graduate student committees, chairing 40 committees. He teaches/team teaches “Applied Fisheries Statistics,” “Introduction to Fishery Science,” and “Fish and Limnology,” and he guest-lectures in numerous other courses.