Towards an individual-based model of green sturgeon and water management in Central California

An adult Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris). — An adult Green Sturgeon. CDFW photo, taken by Mike Healy.

Project Description

Individual-based models (IBMs) represent a powerful tool to advance modeling of California fishes by providing insight to a variety of environmental and management scenarios that may impact population dynamics. This project seeks to initiate the development an IMB of green sturgeon in central California that can be used to simulate effects of changing climate and water management on population dynamics, habitat use, and movement. The team proposes to take the first substantial steps toward an IBM of green sturgeon movement, population dynamics, and responses to water management in the Sacramento River mainstem and tributaries, Delta, and San Francisco Estuary by:

Developing the model framework and assessing data needs for each model component and whether these needs can be met by existing datasets;
Designing water management and environmental change scenarios for model simulation guided by policy and practice of water management and species conservation;
Generating a full-length research proposal suited to federal and California funding opportunities

Ultimately, this approach could benefit the extensive conservation and management efforts already underway for fishes in this region.

Team Members

Erin Tracy	University of California, Davis – Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology
Scott Colborne	Michigan State University – Quantitative Fisheries Center
Nann Fangue	University of California, Davis – Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology
John Kelly	California Department of Fish & Wildlife – Fisheries Branch Sturgeon Coordinator
Sarah Yarnell	University of California, Davis – Center for Watershed Sciences
Fran Bellido-Leiva	University of California, Davis – Center for Watershed Sciences
Karrigan Börk	University of California, Davis – School of Law
Jonathan Walter	University of California, Davis – Center for Watershed Sciences