Ocean Assistantship: Cal Poly Humboldt Fisheries Research in Marine and Estuarine Habitats

MSc Assistantship Opportunities

Individual projects for the MSc assistantships and the associated advisors are listed below; these projects address gaps in knowledge of Tribal priority species. In addition to completing an individual research project and publication, selected students will also participate in the larger project by participating in Knowledge Exchange Events and working with one (or more) of the project's five partner Tribes: the Wiyot Tribe, Blue Lake Rancheria, Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria (Trinidad Rancheria), Resighini Rancheria, and the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation.

Tribes associated with each project will be involved in candidate selection.

One MS assistantship is available to support research on threatened Chinook Salmon in the Eel River. Large-scale habitat restoration efforts intended to promote recovery of listed salmon have been implemented in the Eel River (Wiya't) estuary, but little is known about Chinook salmon response to these efforts. This student will study the distribution and habitat use of Chinook salmon in this system using field sampling and habitat assessment.

This is a collaborative project with scientists and technicians from the Wiyot Tribe. Principal Investigator:
Dr. Darren Ward, Department of Fisheries Biology.

One MS assistantship is available to support research on threatened green sturgeon in the Humboldt Bay region. During summer, sturgeon from populations to the north (Klamath and Rogue rivers) and south (Sacramento River) use habitat in the Eel and Mad River estuary and Humboldt Bay. Very little is known about green sturgeon use of these summer habitats and how climate is impacting this use.

This student will study the movement and habitat use of green sturgeon in these three systems using historical data, field collection, and satellite pop‐up tags. This is a collaborative project with scientists and technicians from the Blue Lake Rancheria and the Wiyot Tribe. Principal Investigators:
Drs. Darren Ward and Jose Marin Jarrin, Department of Fisheries Biology.

Surf, night, and eulachon smelt are culturally, commercially, and ecologically important species in the coastal Pacific Northwest. These are data-poor fisheries that may be impacted by poor oceanographic conditions such as those exhibited during El Niño events that are more common and stronger due to climate change. This student will study the status of the populations of these species in Humboldt and Del Norte counties by sampling (A-frame and metabarcoding eDNA), and describing their presence, abundance, length, weight, and age.

This is a collaborative project with scientists and technicians from the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, Resighini Rancheria, and Wiyot Tribe. Principal Investigator:
Dr. Jose Marin Jarrin, Department of Fisheries Biology.

One MS assistantship is available to support research on the bull kelp habitat in Trinidad Bay. The Trinidad Rancheria Tribal community is concerned about the recent decline in bull kelp habitat due to marine heatwaves and resultant ecological changes, including an explosion of purple urchin that are outcompeting red abalone for food. Our plan for developing efficient restoration methods is to study the resilience of local bull kelp communities.

The graduate student will characterize and quantify ecosystem attributes such as biodiversity, community structure, population abundance, recruitment, and size structure of keystone species through remote sensing, subtidal surveys via scuba diving, and the use of Standardized Monitoring Unit for the Recruitment of Fishes (SMURFs) and larval settlement devices. This is a collaborative project with scientists and technicians from the Trinidad Rancheria.

Principal Investigator:
Dr. Paul Bourdeau, Department of Biological Sciences.

Fish biodiversity in Northern Californian marine coastal habitats are currently poorly described, hindering the study of climate change impacts, adaptation, and mitigation. Metabarcoding eDNA studies are interdisciplinary and bring together molecular ecology, marine fish ecology, and…