Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
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By Cooperative Research Units
February 19, 2026
The Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (est. 1967) is a partnership among the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Ecology, University of Washington, Washington State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
Longer rorqual whale mothers produce more female offspring Longer rorqual whale mothers produce more female offspring
Multiple hypotheses have arisen that predict how mammals with the ability to adapt fetal sex ratios should invest in male versus female offspring to maximize inclusive fitness, but large wild-population datasets necessary for testing these hypotheses are challenging to collect. We used whaling data (n = 209 254 sexed fetuses from seven rorqual whale species) to test whether mothers with...
Authors
Zoe R. Rand, Trevor A. Branch, Sarah J. Converse
Seasonal synchronicity and multi-decadal stability of headwater biogeochemistry in the northern temperate zone Seasonal synchronicity and multi-decadal stability of headwater biogeochemistry in the northern temperate zone
Temporal patterns in chemistry of headwater streams reflect responses of water and elemental cycles to perturbations occurring at local to global scales. We evaluated multi-scale temporal patterns in up to 32 y of monthly observations of stream chemistry (ammonium, calcium, dissolved organic carbon, nitrate, total dissolved phosphorus, and sulfate) in 22 reference catchments within the...
Authors
Tamara K. Harms, Jim Hood, Mark David Scheuerell, Irena F. Creed, John L. Campbell, I. J. Fernandez, S. N. Higgins, Sherri L. Johnson, James B. Shanley, Stephen Sebestyen, K. L. Webster, H. Yoa
Perceptions and management of chronic wasting disease in Washington State: A survey of cervid hunters Perceptions and management of chronic wasting disease in Washington State: A survey of cervid hunters
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease caused by a misfolded protein, or prion, and is found in cervids (e.g., deer, elk, moose). It represents a serious threat to cervid populations and is one of the most important ungulate management issues facing state wildlife management agencies. Issues associated with CWD can affect many groups including hunters, tribal...
Authors
Megan Callahan, Melia DeVivo, Brian Kertson, Hunter Westacott, Michael C Mcinturff
Evaluating mark–resight survey design performance using simulation: A case study of endangered Steller sea lions Evaluating mark–resight survey design performance using simulation: A case study of endangered Steller sea lions
Effective monitoring is fundamental to estimating wildlife population parameters with a level of accuracy and precision that is adequate to inform management decisions. However, managers must balance trade-offs between the costs of monitoring and the resulting data quality to identify cost-effective monitoring survey designs. As such, evaluating the expected performance of monitoring...
Authors
Amanda J. Warlick, Brian S. Fadely, Peter Mahoney, Sharon R. Melin, Tom Gelatt, Kim Raum-Suryan, Sarah J. Converse
Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions
Understanding human-predator interactions has been a central goal of conservation for decades, yet many previous efforts have approached this challenge from disciplinary perspectives focused on single case studies. There is a need for more transdisciplinary and multi-sited research to enrich our understandings of the complexity of human-nonhuman interactions and to design ways to make...
Authors
Judith E. Krauss, Valentina Fiasco, Silvio Marchini, Michael C Mcinturff, Laila T. Sandroni, Peter S. Alagona, Dan Brockington, Bram Büscher, Rosaleen Duffy, Katia Maria P.M. de Barros Ferraz, Rob Fletcher, Wilhelm Andrew Kiwango, Sanna Komi, Mathew Bukhi Mabele, Kate Massarella, Anja Nygren
Declining marine survival of steelhead trout linked to climate and ecosystem change Declining marine survival of steelhead trout linked to climate and ecosystem change
Species with complex life cycles, such as anadromous fish that perform spawning migrations between freshwater and the ocean, may be particularly sensitive to global change because freshwater and marine habitats experience distinct shifts in climate and ecosystem dynamics. Abundances of wild steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have declined across most of their range over the past 40–50...
Authors
Jan Ohlberger, Eric R. Buhle, Thomas W. Buehrens, Neala W. Kendall, Toby Harbison, Andrew M. Claiborne, James P. Losee, Jennifer Whitney, Mark David Scheuerell
The Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (est. 1967) is a partnership among the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Ecology, University of Washington, Washington State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
Longer rorqual whale mothers produce more female offspring Longer rorqual whale mothers produce more female offspring
Multiple hypotheses have arisen that predict how mammals with the ability to adapt fetal sex ratios should invest in male versus female offspring to maximize inclusive fitness, but large wild-population datasets necessary for testing these hypotheses are challenging to collect. We used whaling data (n = 209 254 sexed fetuses from seven rorqual whale species) to test whether mothers with...
Authors
Zoe R. Rand, Trevor A. Branch, Sarah J. Converse
Seasonal synchronicity and multi-decadal stability of headwater biogeochemistry in the northern temperate zone Seasonal synchronicity and multi-decadal stability of headwater biogeochemistry in the northern temperate zone
Temporal patterns in chemistry of headwater streams reflect responses of water and elemental cycles to perturbations occurring at local to global scales. We evaluated multi-scale temporal patterns in up to 32 y of monthly observations of stream chemistry (ammonium, calcium, dissolved organic carbon, nitrate, total dissolved phosphorus, and sulfate) in 22 reference catchments within the...
Authors
Tamara K. Harms, Jim Hood, Mark David Scheuerell, Irena F. Creed, John L. Campbell, I. J. Fernandez, S. N. Higgins, Sherri L. Johnson, James B. Shanley, Stephen Sebestyen, K. L. Webster, H. Yoa
Perceptions and management of chronic wasting disease in Washington State: A survey of cervid hunters Perceptions and management of chronic wasting disease in Washington State: A survey of cervid hunters
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease caused by a misfolded protein, or prion, and is found in cervids (e.g., deer, elk, moose). It represents a serious threat to cervid populations and is one of the most important ungulate management issues facing state wildlife management agencies. Issues associated with CWD can affect many groups including hunters, tribal...
Authors
Megan Callahan, Melia DeVivo, Brian Kertson, Hunter Westacott, Michael C Mcinturff
Evaluating mark–resight survey design performance using simulation: A case study of endangered Steller sea lions Evaluating mark–resight survey design performance using simulation: A case study of endangered Steller sea lions
Effective monitoring is fundamental to estimating wildlife population parameters with a level of accuracy and precision that is adequate to inform management decisions. However, managers must balance trade-offs between the costs of monitoring and the resulting data quality to identify cost-effective monitoring survey designs. As such, evaluating the expected performance of monitoring...
Authors
Amanda J. Warlick, Brian S. Fadely, Peter Mahoney, Sharon R. Melin, Tom Gelatt, Kim Raum-Suryan, Sarah J. Converse
Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions
Understanding human-predator interactions has been a central goal of conservation for decades, yet many previous efforts have approached this challenge from disciplinary perspectives focused on single case studies. There is a need for more transdisciplinary and multi-sited research to enrich our understandings of the complexity of human-nonhuman interactions and to design ways to make...
Authors
Judith E. Krauss, Valentina Fiasco, Silvio Marchini, Michael C Mcinturff, Laila T. Sandroni, Peter S. Alagona, Dan Brockington, Bram Büscher, Rosaleen Duffy, Katia Maria P.M. de Barros Ferraz, Rob Fletcher, Wilhelm Andrew Kiwango, Sanna Komi, Mathew Bukhi Mabele, Kate Massarella, Anja Nygren
Declining marine survival of steelhead trout linked to climate and ecosystem change Declining marine survival of steelhead trout linked to climate and ecosystem change
Species with complex life cycles, such as anadromous fish that perform spawning migrations between freshwater and the ocean, may be particularly sensitive to global change because freshwater and marine habitats experience distinct shifts in climate and ecosystem dynamics. Abundances of wild steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have declined across most of their range over the past 40–50...
Authors
Jan Ohlberger, Eric R. Buhle, Thomas W. Buehrens, Neala W. Kendall, Toby Harbison, Andrew M. Claiborne, James P. Losee, Jennifer Whitney, Mark David Scheuerell