Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences

I support research endeavors through the OSU Marine Team, instruct several courses and assist in departmental operations.

My past research has included work on cephalopod population dynamics, behavior and neurobiology.

• Restoring wetland and riparian areas to proper functioning condition, primarily in eastern Oregon.
• Improving communication among all stakeholders to ensure effective natural resource management.
• Helping students understand the right way to restore ecosystems and communicate e

 Bird Conservation, Biogeography

Behavioral Ecology, Herpetology, Introduced Species

I integrate animal behavior, physiology, and landscape ecology to better understand how fish and wildlife interact with their environment. My research employs observational study, field experiments, and simulation modeling.

Our research focuses on the pathogens that affect the health of wild Pacific salmon populations, particularly myxozoan parasites, which have a complex life cycle, requiring both a fish and annelid host.

Salmon diseases, host resistance mechanisms, parasite evolution.

Freshwater Fish Ecology. Salmonid behavior and habitat selection in freshwater and estuarine systems. Aquatic habitat restoration. Land use impacts on fish habitat. Integrated watershed management. Fish passage. 

Pinniped Ecology

Interactions of ecosystems, land use, and climate change in wetlands and tropical forests (current emphasis is on mangroves and other coastal ecosystems, tropical swamp forests, and riparian zones). Riparian ecology and restoration. Approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Research Areas: Aquaculture; nutrition of oysters and other bivalves; microencapsulation; polyculture of abalone; genetic selection of oysters.

Avian Ecology, Conservation Biology, Animal Telemetry, Predator-Prey Dynamics, Ecological Energetics, Natural Resource Decision Making Processes, and Communicating Science to Diverse Audiences

Social behavior, Early development and behavior, Ethology, Ecology and life history, Evolution and polymorphism

Seabird and Colonial Waterbird Ecology, Conservation, and Management.

Environmental physiology and reproductive physiology of fish. Particularly, determination of effects of stress on fish performance in the wild and in the hatchery. Areas of interest include fish health, migration and development.

I study how changes in the marine environment affect the foraging ecology, reproduction, and population dynamics of mid to upper trophic-level consumers, especially seabirds.

I specialize in the spatial and behavioral ecology of marine megafauna including marine mammals, seabirds and sharks. 

Stream ecosystems: channel dynamics, woody debris, water chemistry, benthic algae, invertebrates, fish, salamanders, and riparian vegetation. Landscape perspectives for stream ecosystems. Influence of human activities on ecosystem structure and function.

Hierarchical organization of land and riverscapes ("From the macroscope to microscope"). The role of stream temperature on aquatic communities of high desert streams. Factors affecting restoration of fish habitats.

Research Areas: Fishery stock assessment and management; development and testing of stock assessment methods; models of fishermen's behavior (e.g., fishing operations such as gear and fishing location choice).