Our restoration and conservation success depends on a true understanding of the factors that sustain healthy trout and salmon or, alternatively, threaten their future. We work with various partners on research advancing the science of fish ecology. We develop and apply sophisticated models and use cutting-edge fisheries techniques in field studies to answer questions about the natural world of trout and salmon to help us and our partners do better conservation.
It is well documented that fish grow fastest at an optimal temperature, the location of which varies spatially and seasonally within stream networks. To access the shifting environmental conditions that offer higher growth opportunities, fish must move among complementary habitats as they become available. The Science team has been working with university and federal partners to develop a quantitative, yet flexible, framework that allows practitioners to incorporate temperature-driven growth potential into strategic decision-making about connectivity (e.g., barrier removal or barrier construction) where annual water temperature data and a growth model for a target species are available. The paper, Accounting for growth potential: A framework for leveraging water temperature data in aquatic connectivity decisions, was just published in Fisheries magazine (available HERE).
The Salmonid Population Viability Project
“Population Viability Analysis” (PVA) is the gold standard for understanding extinction risk, providing a modeling framework where information about the behavior of populations in the past can help predict their behavior in the future. TU is developing cutting-edge approaches to PVA for better trout conservation.
Fish Movement
Tracking fish movement across different habitats, or in relation to restoration projects, helps us understand what fish need to thrive and whether or not our restoration work is effective.
Fish Habitat Linkages
Understanding what habitat components provide for healthy fish communities and aquatic ecosystems is essential for effective trout and salmon conservation. Our research helps identify these essential components, which can help TU and our partners make better decisions about how to protect habitat and sustain trout and salmon in the future.