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Carl Ostberg, Ph.D.

Carl is a Research Fish Biologist at the Western Fisheries Research Center.

Research Interests:

Carl’s research interests focus on evolutionary and conservation genetics.  Current research projects include several studies directed at generating a greater understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with hybridization between rainbow and cutthroat trout, using next generation sequencing to develop species-specific markers that differentiate endangered suckers endemic to the Klamath Lake basin, developing eDNA tool to evaluate recolonization extent of native and non-native fishes in the Elwha River following dam removal, and investigating morphological and genetic diversity of Dolly Varden in the Russian Far East.

Professional Experience

  • 2008 to Present - Research Fish Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA

  • 2004-2008 - Fishery Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA

  • 1997-2004 - Laboratory Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA

  • 1995-1997 - Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Zoology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. 2014. University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA

  • M.S. 1997. Washington State University, Zoology, Pullman, WA

  • B.S. 1989. Washington State University, Biology, Pullman, WA

Affiliations and Memberships

  • American Fisheries Society, Genetics section

Science and Products

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Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)

Species StudiedCutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center
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Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)

Species StudiedCutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
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Anadromous Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

Species StudiedBull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center
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Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

Species StudiedBull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
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Spatial and temporal survey of waterborne myxozoan parasites in the Lake Sammamish watershed, Washington, from 2019 - 2021

There is a fundamental knowledge gap on the distribution, prevalence, intensity, and ecology of salmonid myxozoan parasites in the Lake Sammamish watershed, Washington. To address this knowledge gap, we tested water samples for Ceratonova shasta, Parvicapsula minibicornis and Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae DNA from 84 sites distributed throughout the Lake Sammamish watershed in fall 2019 and 74 sit
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Western Fisheries Research Center

The ontogeny of eDNA shedding during early development in Chinook Salmon

We conducted a lab study to explore eDNA shedding during early life history (from fertilized eggs until near yolk sac absorption) in Chinook Salmon at three biomasses: 10 eggs, 100 eggs, and 1,000 eggs, and each egg biomass was replicated (indicated as replicates 1 and 2). Water samples were collected at several time points before, during, and after hatch for detection of Chinook Salmon DNA. On da
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Western Fisheries Research Center

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an Effective Tool to Track Recolonizing Migratory Fish Following Large-Scale Dam Removal, field data

We collected environmental DNA (eDNA) data from the Elwha River, home to the world?s largest dam removal project, to track the spatial and temporal patterns of species responses following dam removal. In total, we collected data for 11 different fish taxa, sampled at 25 sites ranging across 56 river kilometers in a wilderness river for 4 years following dam removal. We show that eDNA can effective
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

2015 environmental DNA surveys for lampreys in Chehalis River tributaries, Washington

Columns of data representing Chehalis River tributary, sample reach locations, dates of water sampling, quantitative PCR results, and whether lamprey were sampled by electrofishing in each sample reach. ***Please note that the title of this data release used to be "Environmental DNA surveys for lampreys in Chehalis River tributaries, Washington, from 2015 and 2017," but was updated for version 2.
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Distribution and seasonal differences in Pacific Lamprey and Lampetra spp eDNA across 18 Puget Sound watersheds, 2014 and 2015

These data contain all the raw results needed to support the conclusions for the final product. These data are water sampling locations (latitude and longitude), date of water sampling, quantitative PCR values for each water sample, and stream flow at USGS stream gauging stations on sampling day.
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center
Filter Total Items: 33

Growth, survival, and cohort formation of juvenile Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2019 Monitoring Report

Populations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter, Clear Lake), California, are experiencing long-term decreases in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing not only due to adult mortality, which is relatively low, but also because they are not being
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Ontogeny of eDNA shedding during early development in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Knowledge of the timing of major life history events in aquatic species is important for informing conservation and resource management planning. Accordingly, surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA) have been performed to determine the efficacy of eDNA for providing information on life history events, primarily focusing on the timing of events associated with spawning, and these studies have proved su
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Survival and growth of suckers in mesocosms at three locations within Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2018

Executive SummaryDue to high mortality in the first year or two of life, Lost River (Deltistes luxatus sp.) and Shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris sp.) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon rarely reach maturity. In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began the Sucker Assisted Rearing Program (SARP) to improve early life survival before releasing the fish back into Upper Klamath Lake. Surviva
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Fish Health Program (FHP), Klamath Falls Field Station (KFFS)

Environmental DNA is an effective tool to track recolonizing migratory fish following large‐scale dam removal

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a potentially powerful tool for use in conservation and resource management, including for tracking the recolonization dynamics of fish populations. We used eDNA to assess the effectiveness of dam removal to restore fish passage on the Elwha River in Washington State (USA). Using a suite of 11 species‐specific eDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, we
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Use of environmental DNA to detect the invasive aquatic plants Myriophyllum spicatum and Egeria densa in lakes

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis offers a promising tool for rapid and early detection of aquatic plant invasive species, but currently suffers from substantial unknowns that limit its widespread use in monitoring programs. We conducted the first study to test the factors related to eDNA-based detectability of 2 invasive aquatic plants, Egeria densa and Myriophyllum spicatum, over extended period
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year-class formation, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2018 monitoring report

Executive SummaryPopulations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter Clear Lake), California, are experiencing long-term decreases in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing not only because of adult mortality, which is relatively low, but also becaus
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Klamath Falls Field Station (KFFS)

Development of a quantitative PCR assay for detecting Egeria densa in environmental DNA samples

Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa) is an invasive freshwater plant that demonstrates widespread ecological impacts in freshwater ecosystems and causes substantial economic damage. Here, we developed an environmental DNA assay for detection of E. densa to provide resource managers with a tool for early detection, identification, and monitoring of invasive populations.
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year-class formation, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2017 Monitoring Report

Executive SummaryPopulations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter referred to as Clear Lake; fig. 1), California, are experiencing long-term declines in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because juvenile suckers are not surviving and recruiti
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Klamath Falls Field Station (KFFS)

A round-robin evaluation of the repeatability and reproducibility of environmental DNA assays for dreissenid mussels

Resource managers may be hesitant to make decisions based on environmental (e)DNA results alone since eDNA is an indirect method of species detection. One way to reduce the uncertainty of eDNA is to identify laboratory‐based protocols that ensure repeatable and reproducible results. We conducted a double‐blind round‐robin analysis of probe‐based assays for DNA of dreissenid (Dreissena spp.) mussel
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

Development of two quantitative PCR assays for detection of several Cottus species from environmental DNA in Pacific coast watersheds of North America

We developed two quantitative PCR assays for use with environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect numerous species in the genus Cottus that are indigenous to the Pacific coast watersheds of North America. We conducted in vitro assay validations on ten Cottus species and 32 potentially co-occurring non-Cottus species. We demonstrate the efficacy of these assays by field testing eDNA samples collected from s
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center

Evaluation of environmental DNA surveys for identifying occupancy and spatial distribution of Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and Lampetra spp. in a Washington coast watershed

Surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA) have become an important and multifaceted tool for monitoring and identifying distributions and occupancy of aquatic species. This tool is attractive because it is powerful, easy to apply, and provides an alternative to traditional field survey methods. However, validating eDNA survey methods against traditional field survey methods is warranted prior to their a
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Western Fisheries Research Center

Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year class strength, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2016 Monitoring Report

Executive SummaryThe largest populations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) exist in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because adult mortality, which is relatively low, is not being balanced by recruitment of young adult suckers into known spawning aggre
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Ecosystems, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Klamath Falls Field Station (KFFS)

Pre-USGS Publications

Ristow, S.S., L.D. Grabowski, C.O. Ostberg, B. Robison, and G.H. Thorgaard. 1998. Development of long-term cell lines from homozygous clones of rainbow trout. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 10(1): 75-82. DOI: 10.1577/1548-8667(1998)010<0075:DOLTCL>2.0.CO;2.
Peek, A.S., P.A. Wheeler, C.O. Ostberg, and G.H. Thorgaard. 1997. A minichromosome carrying a pigmentation gene and brook trout DNA sequences in transgenic rainbow trout. Genome 40(5): 594-599. DOI: 10.1139/g97-778.
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Western Fisheries Science News, April 2018 | Issue 6.4

Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) to Detect Lamprey

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Western Fisheries Science News, April 2014 | Issue 2.4

Genetic Tools Help Managers Do More With Less

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