World Aquaculture December 2020

16 DECEMBER 2020 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S.ORG a faculty position in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis (UCD) in 1978. He taught upper division courses in aquatic animal reproductive physiology and fish production. These two classes were the mainstay for the many aquaculture undergraduate and graduate students he mentored throughout his career. At UCD, Dr. Doroshov initially studied larval swim bladder physiology of striped bass and tilapia and the reproductive biology of trout. He developed techniques and protocols for induced spawning of channel catfish and channel catfish × blue catfish hybrids. He assisted in the development of spawning protocols and hatchery production of wild striped bass, which led to a long-term program for the annual production of several million yearling striped bass. Dr. Doroshov is most well known as the “father of sturgeon aquaculture” in North America. In 1979 with funding from the United States Fish andWildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, he began his work with reproductive physiology and broodstock development of white sturgeon. In 1980, the first spawning of wild white sturgeon broodstock occurred at UCD, and the very next year, the first spawning of wild broodstock by commercial farms in California took place. In 1987, the UCD/ Industry Broodstock Development Committee was formed and the Hatchery Manual for White Sturgeon was published in 1988. In 1992, Dr. Doroshov received the first year of 22 continuous years of research support from the Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC)/US Department of Agriculture. He was granted funding for six white sturgeon projects that were instrumental in the development of commercial sturgeon aquaculture worldwide. In 1994, the industry achieved independence fromwild broodstock and caviar production in the US began. Subsequent research focused on the long-termmanagement of domestic broodstock, efficient caviar production and improvements to caviar quality. During this time, his research program also expanded to include the development of reproductive and hatchery techniques for pallid sturgeon, paddlefish, threatened green sturgeon, and the endangered Delta smelt. The techniques for sturgeon culture have been applied to sturgeon species throughout North America. Dr. Doroshov was Director of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Program at UC Davis from 1995 to 1998. He is one of the founding members of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society and North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society. He co-chaired the Fourth International Symposium on Sturgeons, held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2001. During his career, Dr. Doroshov received several prestigious awards. In 1998, he received the California Aquaculture Association Distinguished Service Award, and in 2006, he received the Honorary Life Membership Award by the World Aquaculture Society. Dr. Doroshov authored over 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers and books. Dr. Doroshov retired in 2014, after 35 years as a professor in the Department of Animal Science at UCD. He mentored hundreds of students, many of whom continue in aquaculture and academic careers. His accomplishments have influenced and inspired countless scientists and students. In 2018, Dr. Doroshov travelled with his children to Las Vegas to receive the National Aquaculture Association Joseph P. McCraren Award for Lifetime Contributions to the Aquaculture Industry. When Paul Doroshov, his son, recalled his father’s speech upon receiving the award, he described Dr. Doroshov deferring credit for his scientific achievements over his lifetime to his colleagues. For those of us who worked with Dr. Doroshov, we knowwe were along for the ride. Dr. Doroshov taught all of us courage, compassion, respect and humility. He pushed people to be their best and valued our intelligence. He was generous, gracious, warm and witty. His zest for life has enriched the lives of so many of us. Dr. Doroshov passed away peacefully on September 26, 2020 with his children by his side. He will be missed beyond measure by his family, his friends, his colleagues and his students. His contributions to science are timeless. — Contributers: Joel Van Eenennaam, Ken Beer, Paul Doroshov, Graham Young, Leo Ray, Jim Parsons, and Molly Webb. LeRoy was always in your corner, always enthusiastically responding to requests for help, and excited about what might be the outcome. He once readily consented to my request to give a lecture on management practices associated with oyster culture to my aquaculture class at Mississippi State University. Not finding a flight that would work to meet the date of the class meeting did not stop him. He traveled by train to nearby Tuscaloosa, Alabama, from where he planned to drive the remainder of the trip by rental car. While waiting for him to arrive, I received a phone call asking that he be picked up at the train station. Curious, I asked why and he simply responded that he was unable to rent a car because his driver’s license had expired. That was vintage LeRoy, giving his time to meet my Doroshov, continued from page 14 Dr. Doroshov taught all of us courage, compassion, respect and humility. He pushed people to be their best and valued our intelligence. He was generous, gracious, warm and witty. His zest for life has enriched the lives of so many of us. Creswe l l , continued from page 15 Extension Professionals, and a Director of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. During his tenures in these positions, he was often involved in the planning and organization of annual scientific conferences. He was Executive Secretary and Senior Editor of the Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute for the past 18 years. At his death, LeRoy was Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter of the National Shellfisheries Association. One of his sometimes unknown contributions was a book titled The Aquaculture Desk Reference , a practical source of diverse information that has been used by research and industry sectors for the past 27 years.