Andrew Allyn, Ph.D.

Dr. Andrew Allyn joined GMRI in December 2015 as a research technician in Kathy Mills’ Integrated Systems Ecology Lab. Since joining GMRI, he progressed from research technician to Senior Research Manager in Kathy’s lab while completing his Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2024. Now, as an assistant research scientist, he leads our Spatial Dynamics Lab, which strives to develop and apply novel approaches in spatial ecology and prediction science that help stakeholders make better, more equitable decisions.

Before joining GMRI, Andrew earned his undergraduate degree from Connecticut College, where he majored in English and minored in biology. He then went on to complete a Master of Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Wildlife Fisheries and Conservation, where he studied the distribution, abundance, and population ecology of the Kittlitz’s murrelet (a rare, pursuit-diving seabird) in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Following his Master’s work, Andrew stayed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an NSF IGERT PhD Fellow in the UMass Amherst Offshore Wind Program for a few years before moving to Maine and getting hired in Kathy’s lab.

Andrew's research centers on understanding and forecasting how marine species and ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions. As lead of the Spatial Dynamics Lab, he develops spatio-temporal species distribution models and probabilistic forecasts of fish abundance and distribution, working to translate that science into tools that fishing communities, resource managers, and coastal stakeholders can use to plan for change. His work spans both applied, decision-relevant forecasting and the development of new modeling approaches — including emerging methods that combine ecological theory with machine learning — aimed at better anticipating how marine life will reorganize under novel climate conditions.

A native Mainer, Andrew grew up just north of Portland in Cumberland, ME. When he isn’t in the lab, you can find him and his wife chasing after their young son and exploring the outdoors, especially around Orr’s and Bailey Islands and Merrymeeting Bay.