Results from a trawl run in Kuskokwim Bay. Mostly juvenile chum salmon and one stickleback.
Christian E Zimmerman, Ph.D.
Actionable science to inform decision makers, managers, and the public
Professional Experience
2017 - Present Center Director, USGS Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2015 - 2017 Chief, Water and Interdisciplinary Studies Office, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2002 - Present Chair Scientific and Technical Committee, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative, Anchorage, Alaska
2001-2015 Research Fish Biologist, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2000 - 2001 Scientist, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
1995 - 1997 Fishery Biologist, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, Oregon
1993 - 1995 Graduate Research Assistant, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
1992 Fishery Biologist, Thomas R. Payne and Associates/Pacific Land and Water Resources Consultants, Arcata, California
1991 Teaching Assistant, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California
1990 - 1991 Research Assistant, Institute of Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
1989 - 1990 Biological Technician, Redwood National Park, Arcata, California
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2000 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Fishery Science
M.S. 1996 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Fishery Science
B.S. 1992 Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA Fishery Biology
Science and Products
Results from a trawl run in Kuskokwim Bay. Mostly juvenile chum salmon and one stickleback.
Jason Baker and Scott McLean pulling a beach seine in a side channel of the Yukon River
Jason Baker and Scott McLean pulling a beach seine in a side channel of the Yukon River
Examining the utility of bulk otolith δ13C to describe diet in wild-caught black rockfish Sebastes melanops
Strontium isotopes in otoliths of a non-migratory fish (slimy sculpin): Implications for provenance studies
Use of glacier river-fed estuary channels by juvenile coho salmon: transitional or rearing habitats?
Mercury in fishes from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Physiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska
Estuarine environments as rearing habitats for juvenile Coho Salmon in contrasting south-central Alaska watersheds
Genetics, recruitment, and migration patterns of Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) in the Colville River, Alaska and Mackenzie River, Canada
Species and life-history affects the utility of otolith chemical composition to determine natal stream-of-origin in Pacific salmon
Adaptive strategies and life history characteristics in a warming climate: salmon in the Arctic?
Lake trout otolith chronologies as multidecadal indicators of high-latitude freshwater ecosystems
Terrestrial and marine trophic pathways support young-of-year growth in a nearshore Arctic fish
Variability in expression of anadromy by female Oncorhynchus mykiss within a river network
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 15
- Multimedia
Filter Total Items: 65Juvenile salmon from the Kuskokwim Bay, Alaska
Results from a trawl run in Kuskokwim Bay. Mostly juvenile chum salmon and one stickleback.
Results from a trawl run in Kuskokwim Bay. Mostly juvenile chum salmon and one stickleback.
Beach seining on the Yukon River DeltaJason Baker and Scott McLean pulling a beach seine in a side channel of the Yukon River
Jason Baker and Scott McLean pulling a beach seine in a side channel of the Yukon River
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 70
Examining the utility of bulk otolith δ13C to describe diet in wild-caught black rockfish Sebastes melanops
Otolith carbon isotope δ13C values may provide temporally resolved diet proxies in fish. If otolith δ13C values reflect diet, isotope values from recent otolith and muscle tissue should correlate and known ontogenetic diet shifts should be reflected in comparisons between otolith material deposited during different life history stages. We analyzed paired otolith and muscle samples for δ13C from blAuthorsVanessa R. von Biela, Seth D. Newsome, Christian E. ZimmermanStrontium isotopes in otoliths of a non-migratory fish (slimy sculpin): Implications for provenance studies
Heterogeneity in 87Sr/86Sr ratios of river-dissolved strontium (Sr) across geologically diverse environments provides a useful tool for investigating provenance, connectivity and movement patterns of various organisms and materials. Evaluation of site-specific 87Sr/86Sr temporal variability throughout study regions is a prerequisite for provenance research, but the dynamics driving temporal variabAuthorsSean R. Brennan, Diego P. Fernandez, Christian E. Zimmerman, Thure E. Cerling, Randy J. Brown, Matthew J. WoollerUse of glacier river-fed estuary channels by juvenile coho salmon: transitional or rearing habitats?
Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide important rearing environments for a variety of fish species. Though generally considered important transitional habitats for smolting salmon, little is known about the role that estuaries serve for rearing and the environmental conditions important for salmon. We illustrate how juvenile coho salmonOncorhynchus kisutch useAuthorsTammy D. Hoem Neher, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Christian E. Zimmerman, Coowe M. Walker, Steven J. BairdMercury in fishes from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
In this study, mercury (Hg) concentrations were examined in fishes from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, the largest and one of the most remote units in the national park system. The goals of the study were to (1) examine the distribution of Hg in select lakes of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve; (2) evaluate the differences in Hg concentrations among fish specieAuthorsBrandon M. Kowalski, James J. Willacker, Christian E. Zimmerman, Collin A. Eagles-SmithPhysiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska
Lake ecosystems in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to climate warming. Lakes are sensitive integrators of climate-induced changes and prominent features across the Arctic landscape, especially in lowland permafrost regions such as the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Despite many studies on the implications of climate warming, how fish populations will respond to lake changes is uncertain for AAuthorsMichael P. Carey, Christian E. ZimmermanEstuarine environments as rearing habitats for juvenile Coho Salmon in contrasting south-central Alaska watersheds
For Pacific salmon, estuaries are typically considered transitional staging areas between freshwater and marine environments, but their potential as rearing habitat has only recently been recognized. The objectives of this study were two-fold: (1) to determine if Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch were rearing in estuarine habitats, and (2) to characterize and compare the body length, age, conditionAuthorsTammy D. Hoem Neher, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Christian E. Zimmerman, Coowe M. Walker, Steven J. BairdGenetics, recruitment, and migration patterns of Arctic Cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) in the Colville River, Alaska and Mackenzie River, Canada
Arctic cisco Coregonus autumnalis have a complex anadromous life history, many aspects of which remain poorly understood. Some life history traits of Arctic cisco from the Colville River, Alaska, and Mackenzie River basin, Canada, were investigated using molecular genetics, harvest data, and otolith microchemistry. The Mackenzie hypothesis, which suggests that Arctic cisco found in Alaskan watersAuthorsChristian E. Zimmerman, Andrew M. Ramey, S. Turner, Franz J. Mueter, S. Murphy, Jennifer L. NielsenSpecies and life-history affects the utility of otolith chemical composition to determine natal stream-of-origin in Pacific salmon
To test the utility of otolith chemical composition as a tool for determining the natal stream of origin for salmon, we examined water chemistry and otoliths of juvenile and adult Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta and Coho Salmon O. kisutch from three watersheds (five rivers) in the Norton Sound region of Alaska. The two species are characterized by different life histories: Coho Salmon rear in freshwAuthorsChristian E. Zimmerman, Heidi K. Swanson, Eric C. Volk, Adam J. R. KentAdaptive strategies and life history characteristics in a warming climate: salmon in the Arctic?
In the warming Arctic, aquatic habitats are in flux and salmon are exploring their options. Adult Pacific salmon, including sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), coho (O. kisutch), Chinook (O. tshawytscha), pink (O. gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) have been captured throughout the Arctic. Pink and chum salmon are the most common species found in the Arctic today. These species are less dependent on freshwatAuthorsJennifer L. Nielsen, Gregory T. Ruggerone, Christian E. ZimmermanLake trout otolith chronologies as multidecadal indicators of high-latitude freshwater ecosystems
High-latitude ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to long-term climate change, yet continuous, multidecadal indicators by which to gauge effects on biology are scarce, especially in freshwater environments. To address this issue, dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) techniques were applied to growth-increment widths in otoliths from lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from the Chandler Lake syAuthorsB.A. Black, Vanessa R. von Biela, Christian E. Zimmerman, Randy J. BrownTerrestrial and marine trophic pathways support young-of-year growth in a nearshore Arctic fish
River discharge supplies nearshore communities with a terrestrial carbon source that is often reflected in invertebrate and fish consumers. Recent studies in the Beaufort Sea have documented widespread terrestrial carbon use among invertebrates, but only limited use among nearshore fish consumers. Here, we examine the carbon source and diet of rapidly growing young-of-year Arctic cisco (CoregonusAuthorsVanessa R. von Biela, Christian E. Zimmerman, Brian R. Cohn, Jeffrey M. WelkerVariability in expression of anadromy by female Oncorhynchus mykiss within a river network
We described and predicted spatial variation in marine migration (anadromy) of female Oncorhynchus mykiss in the John Day River watershed, Oregon. We collected 149 juvenile O. mykiss across 72 sites and identified locations used by anadromous females by assigning maternal origin (anadromous versus non-anadromous) to each juvenile. These assignments used comparisons of strontium to calcium ratios iAuthorsJustin S. Mills, Jason B. Dunham, Gordon H. Reeves, John R. McMillan, Christian E. Zimmerman, Chris E. Jordan