Pei Chi Chuang
Pei Chi is interested in the role of internal waves on nutrient regeneration in microbial food webs and the corresponding relationship between commercial fisheries. Working with Dr. Emily Shroyer (CEOAS) she is collaborating with local fishermen to install tracking devices on their fishing boats, which will allow them to track their position during upwelling. By interviewing fishermen about the kind and quantity of fish they have caught during the upwelling, she will have a way to quantify the effect of internal waves on the local fishery. These data will help make predictions on the spatial and temporal distributions of internal waves and fish populations.
Colin Duncan
Colin is working with Dr. Ted Strub (CEOAS) on using remote sensing data and modeling to improve the finances and safety of the Oregon fisheries. Colin is gathering data on the needs of the fishermen and working with faculty and researchers to design a tool that can provide the desired information in a useable format. His hope is that his research will help the fishing community, improve scientific literacy, and build closer relationships between commercial fishermen and academics. Ultimately he hopes his work will lead to further collaboration opportunities and the two-way transfer of information.
Melissa Errend
Melissa is interested in the concept of ecosystem goods and services (EGS); the process that generates things that humans either use or enjoy. Working with Ted Dewitt at the EPA she is looking at the application of EGS values to inform management decisions. Melissa is excited about this field because it requires the understanding of both ecological and economic data and information. She is specifically interested in the transferability in ecological modeling and benefits transfer in economics. The interface between these two areas of study is relatively unexplored, but has important implications for EGS research since it highlights opportunities for collaboration across disciplines, or identifying gaps/inefficiencies.
Jennifer Lam
Jennifer Lab cares about healthy watershed and how human activities effect them. Working with Sam Chan, with Oregon Sea Grant, she is studying the increase use of Pet Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP) and what motivates people to reduce the entry of PPCPs into watersheds. By understanding the drivers of human behavior regarding the acquisition and eventual disposition of unwanted PPCPs, Jennifer’s research will guide the development of more effective programs that can decrease the amount of PPCP going into waterways.
Gordon Rose
Gordon is working with Dan Bottom at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center to understand the resilience of threatened spring Chinook salmon in the McKenzie River, Oregon. His research will describe the importance of the Columbia estuary to McKenzie Chinook by reconstructing juvenile estuarine life-history from otoliths of adult returns. The results of his study will inform management efforts and refine manager’s understanding of life history strategies and resilience of this critical Chinook subpopulation.
Stephanie Smith
Stephanie is working with Dr. George Waldbusser (CEOAS) on understanding ocean acidification in Oregon’s estuaries. Specifically, she hopes to provide insight into the positive feedback mechanism between oysters and sea grasses in an actual estuarine restoration effort. Coupling research using a hydrodynamic flume, to simulating the turnover of water in an estuary, and field observations she will examine the potential effects of sea grass density on oyster larval recruitment. Her research will contribute to the body of knowledge utilized by policy makers to determine management strategies that are most effective given the unique biological oceanography of Oregon’s coastline.
Daniel Sund
Daniel is interested in the ecological role that non-native Japanese eelgrass (Zostera japonica) has within an estuarine ecosystem. Across the United States management practices of this species have been varied; this study will help managers in their decision-making. Working with Brett Dumbauld of USDA, Daniel hopes to understand the utilization of the habitat created by Z. japonica and how this utilization effects the recruitment and growth of fish and crab species.
Erin Wilson
Erin is working with Flaxen Conway (CEOAS & Sea Grant)to understand the benefits and challenges associated with Community Fishing Associations (CFAs). CFAs are a relatively new type of fisheries management technique where a community-based organization can hold fishing permits and quota on behalf of a defined community. She hopes to better understand the applicability, tradeoffs, and regulations governing CFAs. The results of her project will help communities considering CFAs and managers in charge of regulating this new fishery strategy.
