As Principal Scientist and Director of Research Operations, Steven Novotny brings Our Clients over 20 years experience in the Aquatic Sciences as a Project Manager, Research Crew Leader and Technical Science Advisor as well as an Aquatic and Fisheries Biologist. Steven Novotny formed Novo Aquatic Sciences, Inc. in 2009 for the purpose of

As Principal Scientist for Novo Aquatic Sciences, Inc. 

Steven Novotny brings over 20 years of field experience to his position as Principal Scientist for Novo Aquatic:

Project Management experience includes fish reconnaissance and tissue analysis studies, fish monitoring of dredging operations, sediment sampling, ESA BA / BEs, aquatic invertebrate studies, biological and habitat assessments for transportation and construction siting projects as well as fish passage and stream crossings analyses.

Research Crew Leadership experience covers a variety of monitoring projects including stream resource assessments, biological monitoring (fish, algae and aquatic invertebrates), sediment sampling, ESA species and habitat surveys, dredge monitoring, and fish salvage.  

Interdisciplinary projects include collection and evaluation of water temperature and flow data; wetland determination, delineation and impacts analyses; as well as syntheses of existing baseline data and results of previous studies into final environmental assessments.

Mr. Novotny provided fish, aquatic, and riparian technical advice for projects throughout the Pacific Northwest working nine years with SWCA / Fishman Environmental Services as Consulting Fish Biologist in the Aquatic Science Program (2000-2009). Prior experience was gained with the Mt. Hood National Forest, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Oregon Department of Forestry (prior to joining SWCA / Fishman in 2000).

Throughout his 20-year history of providing Environmental Services, Steven Novotny has established a respected industry reputation based upon his personal commitment to high standards and his consistent professional commitment to use of 
 

Solid Science for Greater Understanding of Our Aquatic World.  

That respected reputation is the key to the network of productive professional relationships Novo Aquatic accesses on behalf of Our Clients with representatives of federal, state, municipal, and other local agencies as well as the interdisciplinary team (IDT) comprising Our Strategic Partnerships with myriad independent consultants in adjunctive services. 

As Principal Scientist for Novo Aquatic, Steven Novotny maintains contact with colleagues and pursues knowledge development through professional affiliations, workshops, presentations, and seminars. Connections through volunteer activities include snorkel and salmon spawning surveys, and conservation education activities.

Professional Affiliations and Committees

• American Fisheries Society
• Gilbert Ichthyological Society
• Northwest Association of Environmental Professionals

Novo Aquatic Sciences, Inc. provides fish monitoring services and Mr. Novotny authors reports as the lead fish biologist for 2018, 2019, and 2023 Fish Entrainment Monitoring of US Army Corp of Engineers Maintenance Dredging by the Hopper Dredge Essayons in the San Francisco Bay.  In 2023 Novo Aquatics provided aquatic biological advice and in-field construction guidance during streambank re-contouring and LWD placement phases for a GreenBanks Inc. wetland banking project west of Portland, Oregon. 

Mr. Novotny served as lead fisheries biologist on the 2019-2021 USACE project conducting bi-monthly fish and invertebrate bottom trawl sampling in Humboldt Bay, California. In 2021, efforts with this bottom trawl survey project we value added eDNA sampling and analysis in cooperation with Cal-Poly Humboldt. Previously, he was co-principal investigator of annual fish monitoring and reporting for USACE Maintenance Dredging Projects in the Sacramento and Stockton Deep Water Shipping Channels 2006-2017 for monitoring that met required mandates of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Other short-term seasonal projects include snorkel surveys in the Cedar River, near Renton, Washington; trout spawning surveys in the Bull Run Watershed, Oregon; and Copper River commercial salmon fishing out of Cordova, Alaska. Novo Aquatic has also teamed with Greenbanks, LLC since 2010 to provide fisheries technical expertise for the aquatic habitat restoration aspects of the Tualatin Valley Environmental Bank, a federal and state approved Greenbanks project for wetland and riparian mitigation banking on the Tualatin River in Oregon. 

Mr. Novotny has authored and contributed to BA/BEs and other aquatic impact assessment documents for NEPA / EIS regulatory documents, and is currently in press with co-authoring efforts involving fisheries and eDNA research. He has assisted in ESA consultations including Magnuson-Stevens Act / Essential Fish Habitat (MSA / EFH) determinations.  

Symposia presenting results for fish entrainment monitoring work include: Interagency Ecological Program for the San Francisco Bay-Delta (2010); The Bay-Delta Long Term Management Strategy's Science Workshop (2010); Longfin smelt and green sturgeon symposium sponsored by the San Francisco Estuarine Institute and US Army Corps of Engineers (2009). 

CV is available upon request