Graduate Students

.

I am studying the biogeographic variations in age, growth, and maturity of black rockfish (Sebastesmelanops) in the California Current and Gulf of Alaska. The goals of this project are to better understand stock structure for this species and fill data gaps in our current knowledge. 

Thesis: Spatial variation in life history traits of Black Rockfish from CA to AK

.

Olivia is a current PhD student in Fisheries Science, studying the effectiveness of seagrass restorations in Oregon from the perspective of fish and invertebrate communities.

Faces of AgSci Feature -> https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/feature/hooked-...

Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology

Exploring novel molecular methods to assist wildlife management. I worked with ODFW and USFS to create a database of mitogenomes for the development of an eDNA monitoring program for Oregon's freshwater vertebrates. I am also part of a team developing an RNAi control to combat ...

As a PhD student in Dr. Taylor Chapple's ...

.

My interests are Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), also known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and how these knowledge systems can used and incorporated in research and policy. 

My interest lies at the intersection of disease ecology, community biology, and wildlife conservation. Specifically, I am curious about the impacts of the amphibian microbiome on immune function and disease susceptibility. In my PhD, I look forward to examining the role of host vs....

• Invertebrate ecology
• Stream restoration monitoring
• Hymenoptera identification

I am studying a declining population of greater sage-grouse in Central Oregon at the western edge of greater sage-grouse range, investigating possible causes for the decline. These investigations include collecting data on human disturbances, avian predator densities, conifer encroachment, and...

Investigating the ecological role of salmon sharks on the Oregon coast.

I study community ecology and life history patterns in seagrass and reef systems.

Migratory waterfowl usage of semi-permanently flooded wetlands in the Intermountain West and western Prairie Pothole regions

I am focusing on the early life history of tropical marine fishes and their responses to environmental changes. My research aims to uncover how these early stages influence marine tropical ecology over time, providing insights into ecosystem resilience and sustainability.

I am conducting research on coastal steelhead and rainbow trout in the Ventura River of Southern California. The focus of my research is genetic population structure, landscape genetics, smoltification patterns, and migration of juvenile O. mykiss.

My research focus is the environmental impact of anthropogenic contaminants using the measuring stick that matters most: the wildlife. My current research measures how mercury pollution affects dragonfly and amphibian behaviors and bioaccumulates through the food web. 

.

Social-ecological systems approach to understanding how wolves, wild and domestic ungulates, and drought affect the relationships between people, specifically ranchers, and wildlife on Western rangelands.

animal behavior, nutritional ecology, trade-offs, population dynamics, community ecology, food web dynamics > generally with focus on mammals large and small

The goal of Mee-ya’s master’s project is to perform a feasibility analysis for an alternative form of electronic monitoring in Oregon’s recreational charter fleet. Mee-ya’s research will utilize stereo-video photogrammetry (calculating measurements and/or the creation of models of objects...

Liam is currently working on his master's thesis, using stable isotope and satellite tagging data to study the movement and feeding ecology of humpback whales in the North Pacific. To aid in this, Liam recently graduated from IsoCamp (class of 2022), a world-renowned short course on stable...

PSM Capstone: A SWOT Analysis of Invasive Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) Management in Alberta, Canada to Guide Broader Directions

Other academic interests: Wildlife conservation, species management and recovery, urban-wildlife issues, avian migration, human impacts on wildlife, and...

.

I am interested in using applied ecology to inform fisheries management in coastal environments. My work integrates diverse field- and lab-based approaches to understand how fish communities respond to human-made and human-modified coastal habitats. I am particularly motivated by research that...

.

.

.

I am interested in examining the linkages between northern spotted owl demography, fire refugia, and forest resilience with respect to climate change

I am studying the biological and physical factors that are driving bowhead whales in the western Beaufort Sea.

I am investigating an alternative early life history pathway in Chinook salmon in the upper John Day basin. I am estimating abundance, mapping distribution, and determining the physiological status of these downstream rearing juveniles.

As part of Dr. Taylor Chapple's Big Fish Lab, I am researching the movement and foraging ecology of a top coastal predator - the Broadnose Sevengill Shark - within the Northern California Coastal Current to eventually...

Despite their often significant roles in local ecosystems though, large sharks have been conspicuously absent from management efforts in the Northern California Current System. Using techniques such as bio-logging, stable isotopes, and stomach content analysis, Jess’s research will provide...

I'm broadly interested in transdisciplinary approaches to address marine conservation challenges in a changing world. Through my current and future research, I aim to use quantitative techniques to better understand the cetacean bycatch in small-scale fisheries and develop bycatch mitigation...

.

My research is focused on ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) vital rates, movements, and habitat use in southern Oregon. 

Potential impacts of red imported fire ants and other factors on monarch butterfly reproductive success in the Texas coastal prairie.

Effects of thermal variability on Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) foraging, growth, and metabolism in the Gulf of Alaska.

.

I will be using next generation sequencing to analyze the genetic structure of albacore along the Pacific coast and using that data to delineate stock boundaries and help manage sustainable albacore fisheries.

.

Impacts of habitat disturbance (i.e. timber management, wildfire) on terrestrial salamanders in the Western Oregon Cascades.  

Environmental art as a tool for conservation communication.