Collecting streamwater samples for eDNA testing.

Detecting Aquatic Species Using eDNA
Many aquatic species that occupy streams are cryptic or are
found in low densities, making detection difficult.
Understanding the presence, abundance, and genetic variability
of multiple aquatic species would provide a breakthrough
for the monitoring of aquatic species of concern and invasive
species, and would help managers and landowners plan for
multiple management objectives. With multiple partners, we
are applying novel tools and approaches using metabarcoding
environmental DNA (eDNA) of water to evaluate the presence of
multi-species found in streams across Oregon, Washington, and
Northern California.

Diversity in the fisheries science workforce in the United States.

Diversity Inequities in Fisheries Science
On the cover of the July 2016 issue of BioScience!
Cover: Diversity in the fisheries science workforce in the
United States. The top fish shows composition of the general
population that could potentially feed into the workforce, by
gender and race/ethnicity, based on the 2010 Census. The bottom
fish represents the current composition of the US fisheries
science workforce by gender and race/ethnicity, based on the
findings of Ivan Arismendi and Brooke Penaluna. The results are
discussed in an article appearing in the July 2016 issue of
of BioScience. Image credit: Kathryn Ronnenberg, US Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Read more in BioScience

Excerpt of distribution map of Cutthroat Trout subspecies (Oncorhynchus clarkii ssp.) in western North America from Penaluna et al. 2016, Fisheries

Conservation Diversity of Pacific Trout
Pacific trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) in western North
America are strongly valued from ecological, socioeconomic,
and cultural views, and have drawn the attention of much
research and conservation efforts. Although most research on
salmonid fishes emphasizes Pacific salmon, we put forth an effort
to highlight Pacific trout because they share a common evolutionary
history and in western North America many taxa have not been
formally described, particularly in the southern extent of their
range. With multiple partners in other regions of the United States
as well as in Canada and Mexico, we are advancing the scientific
understanding of the conservation of the diversity of Pacific trout.
Read more in Fisheries

Electrofishing a stream reach for the SCALER field experiment.

Salmonids and Stream Function
How do stream consumers of fish and amphibians influence stream
functional processes, and how are they influenced by them? Building
on the broader SCALER project led by Walter Dodds, and partnering
with Alba Argerich, we used an on-going field experiment to
understand the effect of different densities of consumers on
macroinvertebrates and stream functional processes, including
nutrient uptake and metabolism.

Link to YouTube video of SCALER project

Field site locations on four streams in the Trask watershed that provided data for the inSTREAM model.

Population Dynamics and Disturbance
Although considerable knowledge exists related to salmonids
in the Pacific Northwest, very little is known about processes
underlying population dynamics and interactions among disturbances
that influence these fishes. With multiple partners, and using
inSTREAM, we are discovering the responses of trout to varying
environmental conditions and identifying stream characteristics
that safeguard trout in streams in the Pacific Northwest, providing
a breakthrough for managers.

Instream Cover and Emigration
In contrast to food and space, instream cover and emigration
are potential drivers of population dynamics in fish, but have
received less attention. Cover, shelter, or refuge provides a
place to avoid predators, evade competition, and circumvent
harsh environmental conditions within a site, whereas emigration
may occur when an individual permanently leaves a site to seek
more favorable conditions elsewhere. Although, it has long been
acknowledged that cover enhances animal retention in streams,
the link between cover use and emigration remains unclear. Read more