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Evolutionary ecology of freshwater fishes

Welcome to the Carlson lab, where we study the evolutionary ecology and conservation of freshwater fishes. We 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 we 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
  • Evolutionary enlightened management

Much of our research is field-based and incorporates elements of behavioral, population, and community ecology. Our 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, Hawaii, Alaska, British Columbia, and Norway.