Associate Researcher, John Muir Institute of the Environment Bill Bennett's research involves the ecology of fishes, primarily in estuarine and marine systems.

His main focus has been on understanding the population dynamics and forces structuring fish assemblages in the San Francisco Estuary and near-shore marine environments in California.

This work involves statistical analyses of historical data, and field investigations to understand the influences of multiple interacting stressors, including exotic species, hydrodynamics, exposure to pollutants, and climate change.

He is considered a leading expert on the delta smelt and striped bass populations in the San Francisco Estuary, and has worked extensively on management issues with the Interagency Ecological Program, CALFED Science Program, and associated agencies, including state and federal policy-makers.

Bill has also been a co-investigator with the Pacific Estuarine Ecosystem Indicator Research Consortium (PEEIR) focusing on tidal-marsh goby populations, as well as with the U.S. Geological Survey CASCaDE project to examine the likely consequences of climate change on estuarine fishes of northern California.