Meet Dave Kelch
Lorain County Extension Office42110 Russia Road
Elyria, OH 44035-6813
t: 440.326.5851
f: 440.326.5878 View Case Studies Artificial Reefs Send Me An Email View My Latest Posts
David Kelch is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist and with the Ohio State University's Sea Grant College Program. Located at the OSU Extension office in Lorain County, he is responsible for research, education and technology transfer of information concerning Lake Erie and the Great Lakes.
His work includes the sport and commercial fisheries, eco-tourism, marinas and the boating industry, shipwreck protection and scuba diving, and outreach education programming regarding sport fishery related issues, concerns and opportunities.
He also conducts lake related biological research and economic impact studies, with a recent (2003) economic impact study on the Ohio Lake Erie stream steelhead fishery providing new information to resource managers, decision makers and coastal visitor bureaus.
Kelch is currently the administrator for the Ohio Clean Marinas Program, working with and supervising Clean Marinas Program Coordinator Gary Comer.
Currently (2005) a research effort is being proposed by Kelch and colleague Joe Lucente to develop a series of shipwreck related underwater trailways in the Ohio portion of Lake Erie, resulting in printed educational materials, a website and interactive electronic kiosks.
A major programmatic effort for Kelch has been the development, construction and research of Lake Erie's Artificial Reef Program. Artificial reefs are located offshore of Lorain and Cleveland, with reefs constructed during 1997 from the old Cleveland Brown's Municipal Stadium. Research indicated these artificial reefs attracted fish up to 60 times more than adjacent, non-reef areas. This work has resulted in numerous presentations at scientific conferences, and the publishing of a journal article. In Addition, the State of Illinois used this artificial reef development and research data to construct artificial reefs offshore of Chicago in 1998-99.
Kelch has served on a number of lake related committees, including the Governor's Submerged Lands Advisory Council, Kelly's Island Underwater Preserve Planning Committee, Maritime Archeological Survey Team, Black River Remedial Action Coordinating Committee, Lorain County Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, Kelly's Island 4-H Camp Board of Directors, Lorain County Wetlands Mitigation Task Force, and the Lorain County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited
He has also been district representative to the Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Council, Department of Extension Director's Internal Advisory Council, and chaired the North Extension Region's Promotion and Tenure Committee.
David obtained a Masters of Science degree from the Ohio State University during 1980 in Natural Resources and Agricultural Economics. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from O. S. U. in 1977 with a dual major in Natural Resources and Agriculture. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree in Marine Biology from Broward Community College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from 1975.
He has been with the Ohio Sea Grant Program since 1980, and resides in Grafton, Ohio with his wife Maggie and children Jessica and Cody. Dave and the entire family are outdoors oriented, and enjoy deer, turkey, waterfowl and big game hunting, fishing on Lake Erie, camping and scuba diving.
