Ben Letcher is an Ecologist at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center in Turners Falls, Massachusetts.
Ben is a population ecologist focusing on stream habitats and science communication.
Professional Experience
1995-now USGS, Ecology section leader, Anadromous Fish Research Center, Turners, Falls, MA, and adjunct professor Department of Natural Resources
Conservation, University of Massachusetts - Amherst1994-1995 Oak Ridge Postdoctoral Fellow (with Dr. David Conover) State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY
1992-1994 Electric Power Research Institute Fellow, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
1990-1992 Wisconsin Sea Grant Fellow, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
1987-1990 URI-USEPA Cooperative Research Fellow, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
1986-1987 Research Assistant, Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA.
1985-1986 Research Assistant, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
Education and Certifications
PhD, 1994, NC State, Zoology with statistics and modeling minor
M.S. 1990, URI School of Oceanography, biological option
B.S. 1985, Trinity College, Biology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 16
Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.
Enabling AI for citizen science in fish biology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing ecology and conservation by enabling species recognition from photos and videos. Our project evaluates the capacity to expand AI for individual fish recognition for population assessment. The success of this effort would facilitate fisheries analysis at an unprecedented scale by engaging anglers and citizen scientists in imagery collection. This...
Enhancing water temperature monitoring efforts across Alaska through collaborative leveraging of a statewide database
Water temperatures affect the distribution, growth potential, and productivity of stream fishes that are targeted in subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries across Alaska, making stream and lake temperature data critical for managing freshwater resources. Evaluating the variation in temperatures across Alaska will improve understanding of impacts of both climate change and development on fres
North Atlantic-Appalachian AI/ML Capabilities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) includes a broad suite of flexible data-driven empirical approaches to perform tasks that are difficult to implement using conventional methods. AI and ML harness the power of computing resources to evaluate the underlying patterns and relationships within a dataset without explicit instructions. The North Atlantic-Appalachian AI/ML Capability...
Enabling AI for citizen science in fish ecology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing ecology and conservation by enabling species recognition from photos and videos. Our project evaluates the capacity to expand AI for individual fish recognition for population assessment. The success of this effort would facilitate fisheries analysis at an unprecedented scale by engaging anglers and citizen scientists in imagery collection.This proje
Understanding Brook Trout Persistence in Warming Streams
Cold-water adapted Brook Trout were historically widely distributed – ranging from northern Quebec to Georgia, and from the Atlantic Ocean to Manitoba in the north, and along the Appalachian ridge in the south. However, studies show that due to factors associated with climate change, such as increased stream temperature and changing water flow, the number of streams containing Brook Trout is decli...
Scoping the Feasibility of Incorporating Climate Change into Risk Assessments of Aquatic Invasive Species in the Upper Midwest
Aquatic invasive species threaten our lakes, streams, and wetlands. These species not only change the biology within the waterbody, but they can change the way we use those waterbodies and the resources they produce. Those changes may have large economic impacts, such as direct management costs and indirect costs to fisheries, tourism and commerce. These species can be small like zebra mussels or
Brook Trout Population Responses to Climate Variation Across the Southeast USA
Brook trout are the only native fish from the salmon family in the southeastern United States. Despite their recreational and cultural significance, human activities, such as habitat degradation and introduction of non-native species, have led to serious declines of brook trout populations in the region. Stream temperature and flow alterations from climate change are projected to impact this cold-
A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals
The goal of this project was to maximize the value of expensive animal tagging data. We developed an interactive web application to help scientists understand patterns in their own tagging datasets and to help scientists, funders and agencies communicate tagging data to decision-makers and to the general public. Interactive visualizations have emerged recently as a valuable tool for identifying pa
Climate change forecasts for eastern salmonids
Small streams in forests are likely to see dramatic shifts as global climate change influences air temperature and rain patterns. We have already seen warmer stream temperatures as air temperatures increase in summer in the Northeastern US. The intensity and duration of floods and droughts are also expected to magnify as future rain patterns shift. This project will evaluate how stream temperature...
The West Brook Story
Natural systems, like rivers and streams, are remarkably complex, with many interacting parts. Data visualization tools make understanding and communicating complex ecological processes easier. Effective visualizations help users learn about patterns in data and how models work. Interactive visualizations are particularly useful, as they let users explore data and develop a personal understanding...
Fish Ecology
Our goal is to identify the factors that govern population dynamics.
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
Filter Total Items: 16
Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.Enabling AI for citizen science in fish biology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing ecology and conservation by enabling species recognition from photos and videos. Our project evaluates the capacity to expand AI for individual fish recognition for population assessment. The success of this effort would facilitate fisheries analysis at an unprecedented scale by engaging anglers and citizen scientists in imagery collection. This...Enhancing water temperature monitoring efforts across Alaska through collaborative leveraging of a statewide database
Water temperatures affect the distribution, growth potential, and productivity of stream fishes that are targeted in subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries across Alaska, making stream and lake temperature data critical for managing freshwater resources. Evaluating the variation in temperatures across Alaska will improve understanding of impacts of both climate change and development on fresNorth Atlantic-Appalachian AI/ML Capabilities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) includes a broad suite of flexible data-driven empirical approaches to perform tasks that are difficult to implement using conventional methods. AI and ML harness the power of computing resources to evaluate the underlying patterns and relationships within a dataset without explicit instructions. The North Atlantic-Appalachian AI/ML Capability...Enabling AI for citizen science in fish ecology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing ecology and conservation by enabling species recognition from photos and videos. Our project evaluates the capacity to expand AI for individual fish recognition for population assessment. The success of this effort would facilitate fisheries analysis at an unprecedented scale by engaging anglers and citizen scientists in imagery collection.This projeUnderstanding Brook Trout Persistence in Warming Streams
Cold-water adapted Brook Trout were historically widely distributed – ranging from northern Quebec to Georgia, and from the Atlantic Ocean to Manitoba in the north, and along the Appalachian ridge in the south. However, studies show that due to factors associated with climate change, such as increased stream temperature and changing water flow, the number of streams containing Brook Trout is decli...Scoping the Feasibility of Incorporating Climate Change into Risk Assessments of Aquatic Invasive Species in the Upper Midwest
Aquatic invasive species threaten our lakes, streams, and wetlands. These species not only change the biology within the waterbody, but they can change the way we use those waterbodies and the resources they produce. Those changes may have large economic impacts, such as direct management costs and indirect costs to fisheries, tourism and commerce. These species can be small like zebra mussels orBrook Trout Population Responses to Climate Variation Across the Southeast USA
Brook trout are the only native fish from the salmon family in the southeastern United States. Despite their recreational and cultural significance, human activities, such as habitat degradation and introduction of non-native species, have led to serious declines of brook trout populations in the region. Stream temperature and flow alterations from climate change are projected to impact this cold-A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals
The goal of this project was to maximize the value of expensive animal tagging data. We developed an interactive web application to help scientists understand patterns in their own tagging datasets and to help scientists, funders and agencies communicate tagging data to decision-makers and to the general public. Interactive visualizations have emerged recently as a valuable tool for identifying paClimate change forecasts for eastern salmonids
Small streams in forests are likely to see dramatic shifts as global climate change influences air temperature and rain patterns. We have already seen warmer stream temperatures as air temperatures increase in summer in the Northeastern US. The intensity and duration of floods and droughts are also expected to magnify as future rain patterns shift. This project will evaluate how stream temperature...The West Brook Story
Natural systems, like rivers and streams, are remarkably complex, with many interacting parts. Data visualization tools make understanding and communicating complex ecological processes easier. Effective visualizations help users learn about patterns in data and how models work. Interactive visualizations are particularly useful, as they let users explore data and develop a personal understanding...Fish Ecology
Our goal is to identify the factors that govern population dynamics. - Data
- Multimedia
- Software