Eugene Macri is a nationally known aquatic and environmental scientist working out of Pennsylvania. He is a modern day scientific river keeper. His scientific research and analysis has been sited in hundreds publications world wide including Fly Fisherman Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chambersburg Public Opinion, Carlisle Sentinel, Associated Press Wire Services, Harrisburg Patriot, Johnstown Tribune Democrat, Eastern Fly Fishing as well as many other magazines, and books. Gene works with industry, watershed groups, Trout Unlimited Chapters, fly fishing organizations, fishing clubs, state departments of natural resources, conservancies and individuals in researching, analyzing and protecting the nation’s waters. He has his own private trout stream which he manages as a scientist, river keeper and fly fisherman. Macri has developed wild strains of both Rainbow and Brown Trout.
He was part of the landmark pro bono study with Dr. Jack Black, An Ecological Survey of Big Spring Creek with Emphasis on the Effects of Fish Hatchery Effluent, that was instrumental in the closure of the hatchery whose effluent destroyed one of the world’s greatest Brook Trout limestone spring creeks in Cumberland County (Big Spring), Pennsylvania. The stream is now on its way to returning to its once famous heritage. Gene has probably done more pro bono work for citizens in the last thirty years than any environmental scientist in the country.
Recently, Macri was cited for his work in protecting the streams of Pennsylvania and his knowledge and skill as fly angler in Flyfisher's Guide to Pennsylvania by Tom Gilmore. Gene was a member of one the most famous fly fishing clubs in the world: The Famed Letort Regulars. It included some of the best fly anglers in history: Lefty Kreh, Charlie Fox, Ed Shenk, Ed Koch, Ernie Schweibert, Gene Utech, Tommy Thomas, and many others. Gene is one of the few aquatic ecologists with expertise in both limestone spring creeks and AMD waters (acid mine drainage). He has done extensive research on the recovery of AMD streams. Gene's areas of expertise include water quality, aquatic biology, fishery biology, aquatic entomology, aquaculture, environmental geology, stream geomorphology and remediation, phycology, environmental microbiology, and environmental science.
