Aquatic Ecology and Management Team Directory

Team Members

	Bellmore, J. Ryan Research Fish Biologist PNW Research Station, Juneau, AK Contact via email More info	My research focuses on the ecology of streams, rivers, and lakes. These freshwater ecosystems are some of the most imperiled environments on Earth, and as a result, are frequent targets for restoration. Much of my research is aimed at evaluating: (1) the effects of human degradation and environmental change on freshwater ecosystems, and (2) the potential consequences of different management strategies designed to mitigate or reverse the undesirable effects associated with system change.
	Christiansen, Kelly GIS Data Services Specialist PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email	I am a GIS analyst. For my work with the AEM Team in Corvallis, I conduct spatial analyses and create geographic models. I also manage spatial databases, and create maps and figures for a variety of research projects.
	Crisafulli, Charlie Ecologist (Retired) PNW Research Station, Olympia, WA Contact via email More info	I’m a research ecologist who’s been conducting work at Mount St. Helens since July 1980, just weeks after the catastrophic May 18, 1980, eruption. I’m leading studies that are providing insights into the initial and long-term responses of ecosystems to large, infrequent disturbance. My studies explore the ecology of the volcano’s small mammals, birds, amphibians, insects, and plants. My other research interests include the role of exotic species in montane lakes and the ecology of rare endemic salamanders.
	Ellenburg, Loretta Biological Science Technician PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email	I coordinate the field work and data management for Team members in Corvallis, Oregon. In particular, I am the field and data manager for our Team’s research on the Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study of Western Oregon, and I coordinate field surveys of northwestern amphibians, fishes, and their habitats for a variety of other projects. My other tasks include vehicle and supply management, and first-aid and driver training coordination.
	Flitcroft, Rebecca Research Fish Biologist PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	My research focuses on Pacific salmonids, multiscale aquatic ecosystem assessments over time, effects of disturbances on aquatic ecosystems and native biota, community-based conservation planning, and aquatic biodiversity. I particularly enjoy opportunities to work in multi-disciplinary groups that allow the complexity of the natural world to be more fully represented in research questions and studies. I also serve as the co-chair of the Freshwater Specialist Group for the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
	Foster, Alex Ecologist PNW Research Station, Olympia, WA Contact via email More info	My interests are related to the effects of forest management on aquatic and riparian systems. Current work includes: 1) how plant and animal species recolonize a recent debris flow; 2) physical and biological attributes of small forested wetlands; 3) ecology of little-known invertebrates such as mollusks and millipedes.
	Hansen, Bruce Ecologist PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email	I am an aquatic ecologist with research interests in: 1) salmonid and freshwater mollusk life history and habitat associations; 2) the effects of road-crossing culverts on aquatic organism passage and population connectivity; and 3) aquatic invasive species. I serve as the Dive Safety Officer for the US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest region.
	Olson, Deanna H. (Dede) Supervisory Research Ecologist, Team Leader PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	I study the conservation biology, behavioral ecology, and population and community ecology of amphibians. My current projects address: 1) the effects of forest management practices and riparian buffer widths; 2) microhabitat-to-landscape scale habitat modeling; 3) the effects of climate variation; and 4) the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
	Penaluna, Brooke Research Fish Biologist PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	My research focuses on understanding the effects of climate change, contemporary forest harvest and disturbances on fish and both riparian and aquatic habitats, and more generally on the ecological linkages among water, land, and people. My goals are to use multiple lines of inquiry from various approaches to understand the complexities of fish and the aquatic and riparian world with implications for management and policy planning. In 2021, I was appointed to be the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest Lead Scientist, in addition to my duties as a Research Fish Biologist.
	Reeves, Gordon Research Fish Biologist,  (Emeritus) PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	My research interests focus on: (1) the ecology and life-history variation of native fish; (2) development and application of monitoring protocols; (3) conservation biology for aquatic ecosystems and organisms; and (4) climate change and aquatic ecosystems, with particular impacts on phenology. My work is primarily in the PNW and Alaska. I have faculty appointments at Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and Humboldt State University.
	Ronnenberg, Kathryn Research Information Assistant PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email	I provide graphic design and technical editing support to the research team, including figure, poster, and slide design, publication layout, and production editing for large projects. Current research projects include the Global Bd (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) Mapping Project, Dede Olson, PI, for which I am a data curator (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Bd Mapping).

Associates

	Steel, E. Ashley Statistician / Quantitative Ecologist Forest Department, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), United Nations Rome Contact via email More info	I apply quantitative tools to study rivers and watersheds. My research has focused on (1) harnessing landscape-scale data to predict in-river conditions; (2) quantification and modeling of complex water temperature regimes; and (3) sensitivity analyses to support the best use of modeled data. I also enjoy collaborations that link ideas and tools developed in aquatic ecology to research on trees, wildlife, fire, and people.
	Burton, Julia Research Assistant Professor Utah State University Logan, UT Contact via email More info	I am interested in relationships among disturbance and forest stand dynamics, biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Much of my work focuses on linkages between overstory and understory plant communities in forest ecosystems. Currently, I am examining relationships among riparian buffer treatments, climate variability and amphibian habitat in the uppermost reaches of forested headwater streams. This work is part of the collaborative Density Management Study.
	Claeson, Shannon Ecologist PNW Research Station, Wenatchee, WA Contact via email More info	My research focuses on the interactions between riparian and aquatic systems, specializing on the role of aquatic macroinvertebrates in streams, wetlands, and lakes. I am interested in community and species ecology, food-webs, effects from manmade or natural disturbances, ecological impact of invasive organisms, and river restoration.
	Wondzell, Steve Research Riparian Ecologist Ecological Processes and Functions Program, PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	I am a riparian ecologist combining hydrology and geomorphology with ecology to better understand how physical processes within landscapes influence aquatic and riparian ecosystems. My specialties are stream-groundwater interactions (the hyporheic zone), hydrological linkages between landscapes and streams, and decision support models that help inform riparian management at large scales.
	Bisson, Pete Research Fish Biologist (Emeritus) PNW Research Station, Olympia, WA Contact via email More info	My research includes stream habitats, food webs, riparian management, and a variety of conservation issues related to watersheds. I hold affiliate faculty appointments at University of Washington and Oregon State University, and am currently serving as vice-chair of the Independent Scientific Review Panel for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
	Burnett, Kelly Research Fish Biologist (Emeritus) PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	My research centers around four broad topics: 1) Understanding relationships between salmon and their habitats; 2) Characterizing how aquatic habitats are distributed throughout a stream network and across a landscape and what influences this distribution; 3) Evaluating and developing spatial data for broad-scale research and conservation of stream ecosystems; and 4) Advancing knowledge about interactions among in-channel conditions, watershed processes, and land management to better design and evaluate policy options.
	Vance-Borland, Ken Former Senior Faculty Research Assistant (retired) Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR	Sustaining healthy ecosystems and human communities in the face of global change is a complex problem. I approach this challenge with social network mapping and analysis tools to discover who has (and has not) been working together, and with network weaving processes for building new collaborations. When people exchange ideas with new partners, innovative solutions emerge. I’m also a spatial analyst, using GIS and satellite imagery to help researchers map streams and fish habitat; predict locations that might provide good habitat for salmon; and study how things like forestry, fires, and climate change may influence that habitat quality and the salmon populations that depend on it. (Currently: Executive Director, Conservation Planning Institute)
	Ares, Adrian Former Research Associate Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Contact via email	I have a wide range of research interests in forest ecology including impacts of fixed- and variable-density thinning on upland and riparian vegetation. I also work for a project aimed to determine thinning effects on water-use efficiency of riparian trees and understory plants using tree-ring analysis and stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes. (Currently: Director, Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA)
	Meleason, Mark Former Research Fish Biologist PNW Research Station, Corvallis, OR	As a riparian ecologist, I have explored forest/stream interactions such as the long-term consequences of forest management strategies on wood in streams. My current research includes how land-use changes influence the viability of Oregon’s coastal Coho populations. (Currently: Oregon Department of Forestry, 4742 Liberty Rd S, Box 312, Salem, OR 97302)
	Przeszlowska, Agnieszka (Agnes) Former Research Riparian Ecologist PNW Research Station, Olympia, WA Contact via email	My research focuses on the interactions between riparian vegetation and fluvial processes. I am interested in how land-use activities and the presence or absence of natural disturbances influence aquatic habitats. Other research interests include biogeochemical cycling, effects of ungulate hebivory, and application of remote sensing tools in riparian systems. (Currently: Uncompaghre Watershed Partnership Executive Director, Colorado)
	Sloat, Matt Research Fish Biologist Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Contact via email More info	I am an aquatic ecologist with broad research interests in the biological and physical processes that influence stream geomorphology, hydrology, temperature, and aquatic communities. My current research is focused on (1) behavioral and physiological ecology of fish; (2) Pacific salmon life histories and population demography; and (3) linkages between streams and landscapes and their response to climate change.
	Som, Nicholas Former Ecological Statistician Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR	I’m an ecological statistician specializing in spatial data analysis, and more specifically the spatial analysis of stream-network data. I’m interested in ways that spatial statistical parameters relate to landscape characteristics, like patches, and how to improve the ways that patterns of spatially distributed stream phenomenon can be measured and expressed. (Currently: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata, California)