Fish Health Laboratory

The Fish Health Laboratory is located in a rural setting on the Burns Road in Augusta, Maine. Spring Brook flows nearby through the woods where deer are seen often. Governor Hill Fish Hatchery is in close proximity, which is fed by Spring Brook.

Contact Information

Office Telephone: (207) 287-2813

Dr. G. Russell Danner MS, DVM
Supervisory Biologist III: Fish Pathologist
Email: russell.danner@maine.gov

Education:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Wisconsin, Madison Graduate: 1998

Master of Sciences In Fishery Resources
Aquaculture Research Institute College of Forestry,
Wildlife and Range Sciences
University of Idaho, Moscow Graduate: 1994

Key responsibilities:

Dr. Danner is one of five veterinarians employed by the State of Maine. He is the first veterinarian to be hired by the Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife. His primary responsibility is to conserve, protect, and enhance the inland fisheries. He manages and maintains a fully equipped fish disease diagnostic laboratory and is responsible for monitoring the health of the State’s hatchery fishes. He conducts comprehensive annual fish health inspections at all nine state fish hatcheries and investigates specific disease and fish health problems as they occur throughout the State. He provides technical assistance in fish health and pathology to the commissioner, legislators, fisheries biologists and members of the public. He participates in the composition of department position papers, policies, and legislation regarding fish importation, propagation, fish disease control, public health, and related matters. He provides forensic services for department Wardens in cases involving illegal importation and sale of fishes in the State. Dr. Danner represents the department on several fish health advisory panels including the Ashoc Fish Health Technical Committee and the New England Salmonid Health Committee. The fish health laboratory, located at Governor Hill, is open to the public.

Association Memberships:

American Veterinary Medical Association
Maine Veterinary Medical Association
American Fisheries Society: Fish Health Section
Maine State Employees Association
Eastern Aquaculture Veterinary Association

Zubaidah Sargent, Microbiologist
Email: zubaidah.sargent@maine.gov
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Microbiology
University of Maine at Orono Graduate: 1982

Key responsibilities:

Her primary responsibility is to provide a clean, well-stocked fish pathology laboratory and to conduct pathological examinations on all hatchery lots of fish and other wild fish, when required. Her work includes biological sample collection, conducting laboratory tests and interpreting the results in order to identify bacterial, viral and parasite agents. She is also in charge of preparing the State’s fish health reports. She maintains and orders supplies for the laboratory. At the laboratory and hatcheries, when available, she oversees and directs the work of subordinate employees to ensure workload is accomplished in a proper and timely manner.