Claudia Mengelt, PhD
Dr. Claudia Mengelt is the Acting Land Management Research Program Coordinator in the Ecosystem Mission Area with USGS.
Prior to joining the USGS, she was the California Science Coordinator for Science Applications and the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS’) regional office in Sacramento, CA. She continues to work closely with resource managers in California to apply research to decision-making. Claudia developed her expertise in performance evaluation of federal programs, elicitation and facilitation, climate change adaptation, and co-production of science during her 11 years as Senior Program Officer with the National Academy of Sciences. In this position, she led studies related to ocean policy, marine science, natural hazards, program performance and strategic planning, climate change and climate change adaptation. Claudia completed a M.S. in biological oceanography from Oregon State University and obtained her Ph.D. in marine sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Education and Certifications
B.S. 1997, University of California, Santa Barbara
M.S. 2000, Oregon State University
Ph.D. 2006, University of California, Santa Barbara
Science and Products
Connecting research and practice to enhance the evolutionary potential of species under climate change Connecting research and practice to enhance the evolutionary potential of species under climate change
Resource managers have rarely accounted for evolutionary dynamics in the design or implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. We brought the research and management communities together to identify challenges and opportunities for applying evidence from evolutionary science to support on-the-ground actions intended to enhance species' evolutionary potential. We amalgamated...
Authors
Laura Thompson, Lindsey Thurman, Carly N. Cook, Erik A. Beever, Carla Sgro, Andrew Battles, Carlos Botero, John E. Gross, Kimberley Hall, Andrew P. Hendry, Ary Hoffmann, Christopher Hoving, Olivia E. LeDee, Claudia Mengelt, Adrienne Nicotra, Robin A. Niver, Felipe Pérez-Jvostov, Rebecca M. Quiñones, Gregor W. Schuurman, Michael K. Schwartz, Jennifer Szymanski, Andrew R. Whiteley
A structured decision-making framework for managing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in New York State parks A structured decision-making framework for managing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in New York State parks
Cyanobacteria are increasingly a global water-quality concern because of the potential for these organisms to develop into potentially harmful blooms that affect ecological, economic, and public health. Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) can lead to a decrease in water quality and affect many of the recreational and ecological benefits of parks that include lakes. The New...
Authors
Jennifer L. Graham, Gabriella M. Cebada Mora, Rebecca M. Gorney, Lianne C. Ball, Claudia Mengelt, Michael C. Runge
Applying assessments of adaptive capacity to inform natural-resource management in a changing climate Applying assessments of adaptive capacity to inform natural-resource management in a changing climate
Adaptive capacity (AC)—the ability of a species to cope with or accommodate climate change—is a critical determinant of species vulnerability. Using information on species’ AC in conservation planning is key to ensuring successful outcomes. We identified connections between a list of species’ attributes (e.g., traits, population metrics, and behaviors) that were recently proposed for...
Authors
Lindsey Thurman, John E. Gross, Claudia Mengelt, Erik A. Beever, Laura Thompson, Gregor W. Schuurman, Christopher Hoving, Julian D. Olden
Toward climate change refugia conservation at an ecoregion scale Toward climate change refugia conservation at an ecoregion scale
Climate change uncertainty poses serious challenges to conservation efforts. One emerging conservation strategy is to identify and conserve climate change refugia: areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change that enable persistence of valued resources. This management paradigm may be pursued at broad scales by leveraging existing resources and placing them into a tangible...
Authors
Cathleen Balantic, Andrea Adams, Shana Gross, Rachel Mazur, Sarah Sawyer, Jody Tucker, Marian Vernon, Claudia Mengelt, Jennifer Morales, James Thorne, Timothy Brown, Nicole Athearn, Toni Lyn Morelli
Improving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species’ fundamental and realized adaptive capacity Improving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species’ fundamental and realized adaptive capacity
Worldwide, many species are responding to ongoing climate change with shifts in distribution, abundance, phenology, or behavior. Consequently, natural-resource managers face increasingly urgent conservation questions related to biodiversity loss, expansion of invasive species, and deteriorating ecosystem services. We argue that our ability to address these questions is hampered by the...
Authors
Erik A. Beever, John O’Leary, Claudia Mengelt, Jordan M. West, Susan Julius, Nancy Green, Dawn Magness, Laura E. Petes, Bruce A. Stein, Adrienne B Nicotra, Jessica J Hellmann, Amanda L Robertson, Michelle D. Staudinger, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Eleanora Babij, Jean Brennan, Gregor W. Schuurman, Gretchen E Hofmann
Non-USGS Publications**
National Academy of Sciences, 2016. Effective monitoring of environmental restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
National Academy of Sciences, 2010. Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
National Academy of Sciences, Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Connecting research and practice to enhance the evolutionary potential of species under climate change Connecting research and practice to enhance the evolutionary potential of species under climate change
Resource managers have rarely accounted for evolutionary dynamics in the design or implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. We brought the research and management communities together to identify challenges and opportunities for applying evidence from evolutionary science to support on-the-ground actions intended to enhance species' evolutionary potential. We amalgamated...
Authors
Laura Thompson, Lindsey Thurman, Carly N. Cook, Erik A. Beever, Carla Sgro, Andrew Battles, Carlos Botero, John E. Gross, Kimberley Hall, Andrew P. Hendry, Ary Hoffmann, Christopher Hoving, Olivia E. LeDee, Claudia Mengelt, Adrienne Nicotra, Robin A. Niver, Felipe Pérez-Jvostov, Rebecca M. Quiñones, Gregor W. Schuurman, Michael K. Schwartz, Jennifer Szymanski, Andrew R. Whiteley
A structured decision-making framework for managing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in New York State parks A structured decision-making framework for managing cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in New York State parks
Cyanobacteria are increasingly a global water-quality concern because of the potential for these organisms to develop into potentially harmful blooms that affect ecological, economic, and public health. Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) can lead to a decrease in water quality and affect many of the recreational and ecological benefits of parks that include lakes. The New...
Authors
Jennifer L. Graham, Gabriella M. Cebada Mora, Rebecca M. Gorney, Lianne C. Ball, Claudia Mengelt, Michael C. Runge
Applying assessments of adaptive capacity to inform natural-resource management in a changing climate Applying assessments of adaptive capacity to inform natural-resource management in a changing climate
Adaptive capacity (AC)—the ability of a species to cope with or accommodate climate change—is a critical determinant of species vulnerability. Using information on species’ AC in conservation planning is key to ensuring successful outcomes. We identified connections between a list of species’ attributes (e.g., traits, population metrics, and behaviors) that were recently proposed for...
Authors
Lindsey Thurman, John E. Gross, Claudia Mengelt, Erik A. Beever, Laura Thompson, Gregor W. Schuurman, Christopher Hoving, Julian D. Olden
Toward climate change refugia conservation at an ecoregion scale Toward climate change refugia conservation at an ecoregion scale
Climate change uncertainty poses serious challenges to conservation efforts. One emerging conservation strategy is to identify and conserve climate change refugia: areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change that enable persistence of valued resources. This management paradigm may be pursued at broad scales by leveraging existing resources and placing them into a tangible...
Authors
Cathleen Balantic, Andrea Adams, Shana Gross, Rachel Mazur, Sarah Sawyer, Jody Tucker, Marian Vernon, Claudia Mengelt, Jennifer Morales, James Thorne, Timothy Brown, Nicole Athearn, Toni Lyn Morelli
Improving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species’ fundamental and realized adaptive capacity Improving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species’ fundamental and realized adaptive capacity
Worldwide, many species are responding to ongoing climate change with shifts in distribution, abundance, phenology, or behavior. Consequently, natural-resource managers face increasingly urgent conservation questions related to biodiversity loss, expansion of invasive species, and deteriorating ecosystem services. We argue that our ability to address these questions is hampered by the...
Authors
Erik A. Beever, John O’Leary, Claudia Mengelt, Jordan M. West, Susan Julius, Nancy Green, Dawn Magness, Laura E. Petes, Bruce A. Stein, Adrienne B Nicotra, Jessica J Hellmann, Amanda L Robertson, Michelle D. Staudinger, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Eleanora Babij, Jean Brennan, Gregor W. Schuurman, Gretchen E Hofmann
Non-USGS Publications**
National Academy of Sciences, 2016. Effective monitoring of environmental restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
National Academy of Sciences, 2010. Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
National Academy of Sciences, Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.