Category Archives: Biology

Getting Strategic about Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in California

Posted on November 4, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Jeanette Howard, Kurt Fesenmyer, Theodore Grantham, Joshua Viers, Peter Ode, Peter Moyle, Sarah Kupferberg, Joseph Furnish, Andrew Rehn, Joseph Slusark, Raphael Mazor, Nicholas Santos, Ryan Peek, and Amber Wright An essential first step to protect biodiversity is understanding what species … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, California Water, Conservation, reconciliation | Tagged | 1 Comment

Science, the Delta, and the future of San Joaquin salmon

Posted on August 21, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Peter B. Moyle I feel fortunate to be a biologist in an era and place, California, where science matters.  Routine scientific studies rarely make headlines but they are relied on by decision makers because they reduce uncertainty, bit by … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, California Water, Fish, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, San Joaquin River | Tagged | 6 Comments

Habitat Restoration for Chinook Salmon in Putah Creek: A Success Story

Posted on May 13, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Eric Chapman, Emily Jacinto, and Peter Moyle 2017 was another good year for Chinook salmon in Putah Creek. Putah Creek is just a small stream flowing through Yolo and Solano counties, fed by releases of water from Lake Berryessa. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Fish, Restoration, Salmon | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

New paths to survival for endangered winter run Chinook salmon

Posted on January 7, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Anna Sturrock and Corey Phillis Many Californians have seen headlines about endangered Sacramento River Winter Run Chinook salmon (“winter run”) on the “brink of extinction.” But not many people know exactly what winter run are, nor why they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Fish, Salmon | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The Spawning Dead: Why Zombie Fish are the Anti-Apocalypse

Posted on October 29, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Mollie Ogaz   Imagine you are on the bank of a river or stream in California’s Central Valley. It is just past sunset, leaves rustle overhead, and you feel a tingling along your spine. Suddenly a zombie fish leaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Fish, Halloween, Salmon, Wild and Wacky | Tagged | 2 Comments

Evolutionary genomics informs salmon conservation

Posted on September 24, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Tasha Thompson, Michael Miller, Daniel Prince and Sean O’Rourke Spring Chinook and summer steelhead (premature migrators) have been extirpated or are in decline across most of their range while fall Chinook and winter steelhead populations (mature migrators) remain relatively healthy. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Conservation, Fish | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Future of California’s Unique Salmon and Trout: Good News, Bad News

Posted on May 16, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Robert Lusardi, Peter Moyle, Patrick Samuel, and Jacob Katz California is a hot spot for endemic species, those found nowhere else in the world.  Among these species are 20 kinds of salmon and trout. That is an astonishing number … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, California Water, Climate Change, Conservation, Fish, reconciliation, Salmon, Stressors, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Facing Extinction II: Making hard decisions

Posted on May 7, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Jason Baumsteiger and Peter Moyle In part I of our blog, we projected a bleak future for many freshwater fishes, especially in California. Some difficult decisions will need to be made to prevent extinctions or to verify them.  However … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Conservation, Fish, Planning and Management | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Facing extinction: California fishes

Posted on April 30, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Peter Moyle and Jason Baumsteiger At least two species of California fishes appear to be facing imminent extinction in the wild: delta smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon.  These species could join about 57 other North American fishes declared extinct. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Conservation, Fish, Planning and Management | Tagged , | 5 Comments

What lies behind the dam? In some cases, self-sustaining salmon

Posted on February 14, 2016 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By K. Martin Perales Chinook salmon are a remarkably adaptable species. There is good reason to believe there are multiple populations of landlocked Chinook salmon completing their entire life cycle above Central Valley dams. We recently documented spawning above six of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Conservation, Fish, Salmon | Tagged | 4 Comments