Clint Muhlfeld, Ph.D.
I am a Research Aquatic Ecologist for the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center stationed in Glacier National Park and Associate Research Professor at the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station.
Research interests
My general research interests encompass the fields of aquatic ecology, fisheries biology, and conservation biology. My research goal is to understand how aquatic species interact with physical and biological templates over space and time to inform conservation and management. Specifically, my applied research focuses on assessing how human stressors – invasive species, habitat modification, and climate change – influence native salmonids and rare alpine macroinvertebrates in the Rocky Mountains of United States and Canada.
My research spans a range of scientific and conservation issues from examining evolutionary and ecological impacts of invasive species on native fishes, assessing life history and genetic diversity of native salmonids, assessing the status of threatened freshwater species, investigating the impacts of dams and barriers on aquatic species and ecosystems, developing quantitative models (e.g., stream temperature, instream flow/habitat, bioenergetics, riverscape connectivity, population viability) to predict species’ responses to environmental change, to understanding and predicting the impacts of climate change on freshwater species and ecosystems.
I particularly enjoy collaboration and multidisciplinary research, and advising and educating graduate students working on freshwater ecology and conservation biology projects. Currently, I actively participate on several regional, national, and international science teams that address natural resource issues facing aquatic ecosystems. My hope is that the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems will be conserved for future generations through research-informed management and education.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2008. Fish and Wildlife Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman
M.S. 1999. Fishery Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow
B.S. 1994. Aquatic Biology, University of Montana, Missoula; University of Maine, Orono
Affiliations and Memberships*
Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana
Science and Products
Evolutionary mechanisms influencing the spread of hybridization: genomics, fitness and dispersal
Using the past as a prelude to the future to assess climate effects on native trout across the United States
Predicting climate change effects on aquatic ecosystems in the Crown of the Continent
Assessing the impacts of mining in the Transboundary Flathead and Kootenai River systems
Integrated bioassessment of imperiled alpine aquatic ecosystems using NPS vital signs and USGS research data: Implications for conservation under a warming climate
Evaluation of alternative dam operations on the movement and habitat use of bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout
Webinar: Predicting Climate Change Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest
The Past as a Prelude to the Future: Assessing Climate Effects on Native Trout in the U.S.
Predicting Climate Change Impacts on River Ecosystems and Salmonids across the Pacific Northwest
An interactive data visualization framework for exploring geospatial environmental datasets and model predictions
Specialized meltwater biodiversity persists despite widespread deglaciation
Climate-induced expansions of invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, North America: A synthesis of observations and projections
A call for global action to conserve native trout in the 21st century and beyond
Global status of trout and char: Conservation challenges in the twenty-first century
Consistent compensatory growth offsets poor condition in trout populations
Microbial assemblages reflect environmental heterogeneity in alpine streams
An integrated framework for ecological drought across riverscapes of North America
Challenges in Columbia River fisheries conservation: Response to Duda et al.
Congruent population genetic structure but differing depths of divergence for three alpine stoneflies with similar ecology and geographic distributions
Effects of land use on summer thermal regimes in critical salmonid habitats of the Pacific Northwest
Trout in hot water: A call for global action
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
Evolutionary mechanisms influencing the spread of hybridization: genomics, fitness and dispersal
Using the past as a prelude to the future to assess climate effects on native trout across the United States
Predicting climate change effects on aquatic ecosystems in the Crown of the Continent
Assessing the impacts of mining in the Transboundary Flathead and Kootenai River systems
Integrated bioassessment of imperiled alpine aquatic ecosystems using NPS vital signs and USGS research data: Implications for conservation under a warming climate
Evaluation of alternative dam operations on the movement and habitat use of bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout
Webinar: Predicting Climate Change Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest
The Past as a Prelude to the Future: Assessing Climate Effects on Native Trout in the U.S.
Predicting Climate Change Impacts on River Ecosystems and Salmonids across the Pacific Northwest
An interactive data visualization framework for exploring geospatial environmental datasets and model predictions
Specialized meltwater biodiversity persists despite widespread deglaciation
Climate-induced expansions of invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, North America: A synthesis of observations and projections
A call for global action to conserve native trout in the 21st century and beyond
Global status of trout and char: Conservation challenges in the twenty-first century
Consistent compensatory growth offsets poor condition in trout populations
Microbial assemblages reflect environmental heterogeneity in alpine streams
An integrated framework for ecological drought across riverscapes of North America
Challenges in Columbia River fisheries conservation: Response to Duda et al.
Congruent population genetic structure but differing depths of divergence for three alpine stoneflies with similar ecology and geographic distributions
Effects of land use on summer thermal regimes in critical salmonid habitats of the Pacific Northwest
Trout in hot water: A call for global action
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government