A5049931928- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Research Data Management Practices
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Water Quality and Resources Studies
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Immune cells in cancer
- Marine and fisheries research
- Transboundary Water Resource Management
- Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies
- Municipal Solid Waste Management
- Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Hydrological Forecasting Using AI
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
2008-2024
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
2014-2024
Gamida Cell (Israel)
2023
Middle East Studies Association of North America
2017
University of California, Berkeley
2010-2012
University of California System
2009
Molecular methods, such as DNA barcoding, have the potential to enhance biomonitoring programs worldwide. Altering routinely used sample preservation methods protect from degradation may pose a impediment application of barcoding and metagenomics for using benthic macroinvertebrates. Using higher volumes or concentrations ethanol, requirements shorter holding times, need include additional filtering increase cost logistical constraints existing programs. To address this issue we evaluated...
Regions with great natural environmental complexity present a challenge for attaining 2 key properties of an ideal bioassessment index: 1) index scores anchored to benchmark biological expectation that is appropriate the range conditions at each assessment site, and 2) deviation from reference measured equivalently in all settings so given score has same ecological meaning across entire region interest. These are particularly important regulatory applications like criteria where errors or...
Climate change is expected to have strong effects on mediterranean-climate regions worldwide. In some areas, these will include increases in temperature and decreases rainfall, which could important implications for biological assessment programs of aquatic ecosystems. We used a consistently collected, 20-y benthic macroinvertebrate data set from 4 sites along 2 small northern California streams examine potential climate-change communities. The represented unique combinations stream order...
Benthic macroinvertebrate community composition is used to assess wetland and stream condition help differentiate the effects of stressors among sites. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) barcoding has been promoted as a way increase taxonomic resolution and, thereby, sensitivity bioassessment metrics. We compared ability several commonly metrics calculated with data derived from morphology DNA detect differences in 6 paired sites southern California relatively subtle impacts habitat. At each site,...
Nonperennial streams are often excluded from biomonitoring programs because of inadequate knowledge about their biological and hydrological characteristics variability. The ability to apply bioassessment indices nonperennial would greatly expand the reach programs. We sampled 12 (3 which were minimally stressed) in San Diego hydrologic region multiple times assess whether a benthic macroinvertebrate assessment index (the Southern California Index Biotic Integrity [IBI]) developed for...
Many advances in the field of bioassessment have focused on approaches for objectively selecting pool reference sites used to establish expectations healthy waterbodies, but little emphasis has been placed ways evaluate suitability reference-site its intended applications (e.g., compliance assessment vs ambient monitoring). These evaluations are critical because an inadequately evaluated may bias assessments some settings. We present approach evaluating adequacy a supporting biotic-index...
Low flows pose unique challenges for accurately quantifying streamflow. Current field methods are not optimized to measure these conditions, which in turn, limits research and management. In this essay, we argue that the lack of measuring low streamflow is a fundamental challenge must be addressed ensure sustainable water management now into future, particularly as climate change shifts more streams increasingly frequent flows. We demonstrate pervasive flows, present decision support tool...
Long-term variability of bioassessments has not been well evaluated. We analyzed a 20-year data set (1984–2003) from four sites in two northern California streams to examine the bioassessment indices (two multivariate RIVPACS-type O/E scores and one multimetric index biotic integrity, IBI), as eight metrics. All were sampled spring; site was also summer. Variability among years high for most metrics (coefficients variation, CVs ranging 16% 246% spring) but lower (CVs 22–26% IBI 21–32%...
The increasing demand for tools that can score biological condition from aquatic community data has spurred the creation of many predictive models (e.g., observed/expected [O/E] indices) and multimetric indices (MMIs). geographic environmental scopes these vary widely, coverages often overlap. If developed large environmentally heterogeneous regions provide results equivalent to those smaller regions, then regulatory entities could adopt larger rather than fund development multiple within a...
Species delimitation (grouping individuals into distinct taxonomic groups) is an essential part of evolutionary, conservation, and molecular ecology. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) barcodes, short fragments the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, are being used in environmental bioassessments to assign specimens putative species, but no method for delimiting DNA barcodes species-level entities universally accepted. We investigated effect methods on outcomes based barcodes. 2...
Abstract Ecological monitoring of streams has frequently focused on measures describing the taxonomic, and sometimes functional, α diversity benthic macroinvertebrates ( BMI s) within a single sampled community. However, as many ecological processes effectively link stream communities there is need to describe groups using regional diversity. Here we demonstrate role for incorporating both traditional pairwise measure community turnover, β diversity, in assessing health well ζ more...
Open science principles that seek to improve can effectively bridge the gap between researchers and environmental managers. However, widespread adoption has yet gain traction for development application of bioassessment products. At core this philosophy is concept research should be reproducible transparent, in addition having long-term value through effective data preservation sharing. In article, we review open concepts have recently been adopted ecological sciences emphasize how benefit...
Biomonitoring requires thorough evaluation of methods used to detect impairment. Using a data set 202 reference sites and 66 test from the Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada, we analyzed effects assemblage (benthic macroinvertebrates periphyton) site classification (ecoregion, stream order, null models, biotic groups) on two bioassessment (BEAST (BEnthic Assessment SedimenT) RIVPACS (River InVertebrate Prediction And Classification Scheme)). Although largely undisturbed, River is...
Abstract Widespread hydrologic alteration creates a need for tools to assess ecological impacts streams that can be applied across large geographic scales. A regional framework biologically based flow management help catchment managers prioritise protection, evaluate of disturbance or interventions and provide starting point causal assessment in degraded streams. However, lack data limit the ability conditions region. Hydrologic models address this problem. Regionally calibrated were used...
Streamflow duration is used to differentiate reaches into discrete classes (e.g., perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral) for water resource management. Because the depiction of extent flow streams via existing maps, remote sensing, gauging constrained, field-based tools are needed use by practitioners validate hydrography modeling advances. Duration Assessment Methods (SDAMs) rapid, reach-scale indices or models that physical biological indicators predict class. We review scientific basis...
Abstract Relationships between changes in streamflow and biological condition are important considerations for water resources management decisions. The Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) framework offers a way to protect stream health by managing flow conditions. We demonstrate application regionally derived ELOHA inform stakeholder defined challenges the San Diego River Watershed southern California, USA—a large semi‐urbanized watershed that is undergoing land use changes....
Abstract Hydrologic alteration is a predominant stressor for biological resources in streams. This stress further aggravated by competing human and ecological demands limited water resources. Understanding flow–ecology relationships establishing relevant implementable flow targets are essential to protect communities. Estimating degree of ecologically hydrologic depends on the availability long‐term data at sites with information. However, measured seldom available sufficient density support...
Conservation scientists have adapted conservation planning principles designed for protection of habitats ranging from terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems. We applied current approaches in prioritize California watersheds management biodiversity. For all watersheds, we compiled data on the presence/absence herpetofauna and fishes; observations freshwater-dependent mammals, selected invertebrates, plants; maps habitat types; measures condition vulnerability; status. analyzed...
Predictive biological indices have transformed the bioassessment landscape by allowing universal to be applicable across diverse environments. The successful development of a predictive benthic macroinvertebrate index for California wadeable streams helped demonstrate power these tools in complex geographic settings. However, previous efforts develop algal were limited poor performance and ultimately unsuccessful. For this study, we leveraged robust statewide dataset two different types...
The Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) is a conceptual model that describes changes in aquatic communities under increasing levels of anthropogenic stress. BCG helps decision-makers connect narrative water quality goals (e.g., maintenance natural structure and function) to quantitative measures ecological condition by linking index thresholds based on statistical distributions percentiles reference distributions) expert descriptions biological along disturbance gradients. As result, the may...