Don Schreiner

Don Schreiner headshot
Professional Title
Fisheries Specialist (2014-present)

Biography

I am a fisheries biologist with more than 35 years of experience managing fisheries in Minnesota, the last 25 years working on Lake Superior and the Great Lakes. I volunteer and am employed part-time as a fisheries outreach specialist and educator with Minnesota Sea Grant. My work focuses on transferring technical fisheries information to interested public in a concise and easily understood manner. I address specific questions and issues that are associated with the recreational fisheries statewide along with recreational, commercial and charter fisheries on Lake Superior. From June to December 2022, I served as the MNSG Interim Extension Program Leader. I am also involved with exploring environmentally sound aquaculture practices in Minnesota.

Expertise

  • Management of recreational, commercial and charter fisheries
  • Population dynamics and fish community interactions
  • Stream habitat restoration.
  • Use of public participation processes in natural resource management
  • Aquaculture/Aquaponics

Value of what I do for Minnesotans

My work helps Minnesotans develop a better understanding of fisheries management, the importance of aquatic habitat protection, the potential role for aquaculture, and the value of the fisheries resource to the state of Minnesota.

Education

M.S. - Fisheries Science
(Minor: Statistics)
University of Minnesota
B.S. - Zoology
(Minor: Aerospace Studies and Botany)
North Dakota State University

Outreach Projects

The Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative (GLAC) is a three-year (2019-2022) project to create a regionwide group to foster relevant, science-based initiatives that support aquaculture industries. Credit: L. Angradi.

The Minnesota Sea Grant fisheries and aquaculture supply chain project team seeks to identify viable scenarios for the effective processing and distribution of commercial fish and aquaculture products in Minnesota. 

The Aquaculture Market Study is a three-year (2020-2023), $250,000 project led by the University of Minnesota Sea Grant program that was created to determine the potential for a sustainable food-fish aquaculture industry in Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota Sea Grant program is developing producer-scale methods for raising Yellow Perch fish from egg to market size in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).

The University of Minnesota Sea Grant program and partners are investigating new strategies for producing Golden Shiner fish for Minnesota’s bait industry.

Upcoming Events

Featured Stories

The Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, led by Minnesota Sea Grant, hosted a Great Lakes aquaculture seafood booth at the annual NOAA Sustainable Seafood Celebration in Washington D.C. in June 2023.

Our May 2023 extension column is by Minnesota Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Don Schreiner, pictured above on the left. Don and volunteer Nick Horton were recruiting fairgoers to participate in MNSG's consumer food-fish survey at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair. 

Image credit: M. Thoms/MNSG

Our three-part March Extension Column highlights Minnesota Sea Grant's annual fisheries and aquaculture student award, project presentations and updates.

Image credit: ©kremldepall - stock.adobe.com