August 2, 2008
The Landscape Ecology Team is developing large-scale habitat models to describe the distributions of Pacific salmonids and green sturgeon. Distributions of these species are poorly documented in much of California, yet distributional information is critical to effective management of these fish. Our models are based on widely-available physical habitat data, such as digital elevation models and climate data, and are implemented with the aid of a geographic information system. We plan to improve the models and our understanding of anadromous fish ecology over time by finding those areas where model predictions are wrong, and conducting studies that will explain the discrepancy.
Currently, we are working on stream temperature models that use high-resolution meteorological data from models and satellites, in collaboration with the ECOCAST group at NASA Ames. We hope that these models will help us better understand how water management actions impact fish by alterning stream temperature, and predict how stream temperature may change in future climates.
Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Ecology Division, Landscape Ecology Team