

Research Expertise and Interest
conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, fish ecology, stream ecology, freshwater ecology, northern California rivers, Pacific salmon
Research Description
The Carlson Lab studies the evolution, ecology, and conservation of freshwater fishes. They aim to do research that illuminates how evolution and ecology interact to shape wild populations and influence their persistence, particularly those exposed to anthropogenic (human) influences.
Some topics that they investigate include:
- Evolution (and loss) of biodiversity among salmon populations
- Ecology of intermittent streams
- Ecology and conservation planning of urban streams
- Bio-physical coupling in coastal estuaries
- Ecological impacts of large-scale water management
- Evolutionary enlightened management
Much of their research is field-based and incorporates elements of behavioral, population, and community ecology. Their research combines various techniques including the tagging and tracking of individually-marked fish, experimental manipulations in the field, direct observations, comparative studies, and modeling. Recent work has been done in California, Alaska, and Norway.
Read more about their research on the Carlson Lab website.