Steelhead trout bioenergetics and movement study
Stephanie Carlson, Professor
Environmental Science, Policy and Management
Applications for Fall 2026 are closed for this project.
Mobile consumers may move across landscapes to exploit spatially and temporally variable resources and conditions, which can impact individual survival, growth, and reproduction. Furthermore, variation in movement patterns within populations can impact demography and stability. Understanding the factors that drive animal movements (and their consequences) is paramount to conserving imperiled species.
The aim of this project is to relate resource availability in adjacent habitats that host markedly different physical conditions to fish movement and growth. We will accomplish this by quantifying the number and size of aquatic invertebrates collected in driftnet samples, incorporating these metrics into bioenergetic models to estimate habitat-specific growth potential, and then relating growth potential to juvenile steelhead movements collected using PIT-tag telemetry.
Role: Students will assist with aquatic invertebrate identification and measurement. Students will be trained to prepare and examine samples under a dissecting microscope and conduct electronic data entry.
Qualifications: No prior experience is required. Ideal candidates will be self-motivated, diligent, and display attention to detail.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Avi Kertesz, Graduate Student
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Biological & Health Sciences Environmental Issues