Kyle Phillips of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences prepares to paddle up Meins Landing for plankton surveys in Suisun Marsh.
Kyle Phillips of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences prepares to paddle up Meins Landing for plankton surveys in Suisun Marsh. (Alice Tung)

Managed Wetlands a Culinary Hot Spot for SF Bay Fish, But They Need Delivery Options

Suisun Marsh Study Shows Managed Wetlands Produce More Zooplankton Than Tidal Habitats

  • by Rachel Alsheikh

A new study in Estuaries and Coasts titled Pulsed Zooplankton Production in Seasonally Managed Wetlands Could Supplement Food Availability for a Threatened Fishery in the San Francisco Estuary has found that managed wetlands produce 11 to 22 times more zooplankton than tidal habitats, including tidal restoration sites. 

The study, led by Center for Watershed Sciences postdoctoral research scholar Kyle Phillips, says that controlled floods "could send a DoorDash-like delivery of plankton pulsing into waterbodies to feed more fish," informing management strategies to optimize ecosystem benefits.

Additional co-authors include Alice Tung, Elsie Platzer, Teejay O’Rear, Sharon Lawler, and John Durand. The study was funded by the California Department of Water Resources.

From: "Managed Wetlands a Culinary Hot Spot for SF Bay Fish, But They Need Delivery Options." Kat Kerlin. March 25, 2026. UC Davis Science & Climate.

Media Resources

Daily Republic Staff. 2026-03-26. UC Davis researchers study possible 'DoorDash' fish food delivery. Daily Republic.

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