David A. Beauchamp, Ph.D.
Dave Beauchamp is an aquatic ecologist. His primary areas of research include tactical food web ecology, development and application of bioenergetics and visual foraging models, designed to identify, quantify, and address factors limiting salmonid populations in freshwater and marine environments in response to climate change, dams, urbanization, invasive species, and artificial light at night.
Dave has been chief of the Ecology Section at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center in Seattle since 2016. He was previously a professor for 23 years in the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit programs at Utah State University (6 years) and the University of Washington (17 years). His research program focuses on a mechanistic, empirically-based balance of field observations and measurements, experimentation, analysis, and modeling with an emphasis on sampling or experimenting with the appropriate life stages of species from relevant habitats and seasons that are consistent with the goals and objectives of the research question.
Recent research topics included:
- Diagnosing processes that affect marine survival and size-selective mortality of steelhead, Chinook and coho salmon
- Climate impacts on salmonids in watersheds, especially lake and reservoir food webs
- Feasibility of reintroducing salmon above dams based on food web processes, climate & environmental variability
- Impacts of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on salmon behavior and predation mortality
- Development and application of bioenergetics models to address problems related to climate impacts, other environmental stressors (hypoxia, salinity, disease, contaminants, pH, etc.), quantitative food web interactions, invasive species, feasibility of species introductions, management of regulated rivers
- Development and application of visual foraging models to address problems related to impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN), the role of the visual environment on the structure and function of aquatic food webs
Professional Experience
Chief, Ecology Section (May 2016-present), U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, 6505, NE 65th St., Seattle, WA 98115. Affiliate Professor, University of Washington, School of Aquatic & Fisheries Sciences.
Professor (June 2008-March 2017); Associate Professor (June 2002 to June 2008); Assistant Professor (August 1999 to May 2002); and Acting Unit Leader (June 2014-2016), Assistant LeaderFisheries, USGS-Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Washington, School of Aquatic & Fisheries Sciences, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195-5020.
Assistant Professor (September 1994 to August 1999). Assistant LeaderFisheries, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Research Associate, Tahoe Research Group, Division of Environmental Studies, UC Davis.
Research Assistant Professor (October 1992 to September 1994). Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Research Associate, Tahoe Research Group, Division of Environmental Studies, UC Davis.
Postdoctoral Research Associate (June 1990 to September 1992). Utah State University. Logan, Utah.
Senior Fish Biologist (halftime: February 1987 to May 1990) University of Washington. Seattle, Washington.
Fisheries Consultant (1986 to 1995). D.A. Beauchamp, Fisheries Scientist: Bothell, WA; Tahoe City, CA; Logan, UT.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Fisheries 1987, University of Washington, Seattle. Dissertation: Ecological relationships of hatchery origin rainbow trout in Lake Washington. (Dr. Richard R.Whitney, advisor)
M.S. Fisheries 1982, University of Washington, Seattle Thesis: The life history, spawning behavior, and interspecific interactions of the Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in Upper Granite Lake.
B.S. Fisheries 1980, University of Washington, Seattle
Honors and Awards
Fulbright Scholar Grant. Research-Lecture position in Patagonia, Argentina March-May 2009
Worthington Endowed Professorship, UW School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, July 2008-2013
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 65
Physiological and nutritional constraints on zooplankton productivity due to eutrophication and climate change predicted using a resource-based modeling approach Physiological and nutritional constraints on zooplankton productivity due to eutrophication and climate change predicted using a resource-based modeling approach
Emerging evidence suggests that zooplankton production is affected by physiological and nutritional constraints due to climate change and eutrophication, which in turn could have broad implications for food-web dynamics and fisheries production. In this study, we developed a resource-based zooplankton production dynamics model that causally links freshwater cladoceran and copepod daily...
Authors
Chen Zhang, Michael Brett, Jens Nielsen, George Arhonditsis, Ashley Ballantyne, Jackie Carter, Jacob Kann, Dorthe Muller-Navarra, Daniel E. Schindler, Jason Stockwell, Monika Winder, David Beauchamp
Merging empirical and mechanistic approaches to modeling aquatic visual foraging using a generalizable visual reaction distance model Merging empirical and mechanistic approaches to modeling aquatic visual foraging using a generalizable visual reaction distance model
Visual encounter distance models are important tools for predicting how light and water clarity mediate visual predator-prey interactions that affect the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems at multiple spatial, temporal, and organizational scales. The two main varieties of visual encounter distance models, mechanistic and empirical, are used for similar purposes but take...
Authors
Sean Rohan, David Beauchamp, Timothy Essington, Adam Hansen
Taxonomic, temporal, and spatial variations in zooplankton fatty acid composition in Puget Sound, WA, USA Taxonomic, temporal, and spatial variations in zooplankton fatty acid composition in Puget Sound, WA, USA
Fatty acid (FA) content and composition of zooplankton in Puget Sound, Washington (USA) was studied to investigate the nutritional quality of diverse zooplankton prey for juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in terms of their essential fatty acid (EFA) content. The study focus was on eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) as these are key FA...
Authors
Minna Hiltunen, Ursula Strandberg, Michael Brett, Amanda Winans, David Beauchamp, Miika Kotila, Julie Keister
Artificial lights with different spectra do not alter detrimental attraction of young Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon along lake shorelines Artificial lights with different spectra do not alter detrimental attraction of young Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon along lake shorelines
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is common in lakes with developed shorelines, especially prevalent in the nearshore areas where juvenile fishes, including salmonids, are present. One concern is that fishes may be attracted to ALAN and become more vulnerable to predators. The use of longer wavelength lights has been suggested to reduce the effects of ALAN; however, the response in...
Authors
Roger Tabor, Elizabeth Perkin, David Beauchamp, Lyle Britt, Rebecca Haehn, John A. Greene, Timothy J. Robinson, Scott Stolnack, Daniel Lantz, Zachary Moore
Using bottom trawls to monitor subsurface water clarity in marine ecosystems Using bottom trawls to monitor subsurface water clarity in marine ecosystems
Biophysical processes that affect subsurface water clarity play a key role in ecosystem function. However, subsurface water clarity is poorly monitored in marine ecosystems because doing so requires in-situ sampling that is logistically difficult to conduct and sustain. Novel solutions are thus needed to improve monitoring of subsurface water clarity. To that end, we developed a sampling...
Authors
Sean Rohan, Stan Kotwicki, Kelly Kearney, Jennifer Schulien, Edward Laman, Edward Cokelet, David Beauchamp, Lyle Britt, Kerim Aydin, Stephani Zador
Variable prey consumption leads to distinct regional differences in Chinook salmon growth during the early marine critical period Variable prey consumption leads to distinct regional differences in Chinook salmon growth during the early marine critical period
Growth during the early marine critical period is positively associated with survival and recruitment for Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., so it is important to understand how certain foraging strategies may bolster growth in estuarine and marine environments. To elucidate how spatiotemporal and demographic differences in diet contribute to growth rate variability, we analyzed stomach...
Authors
Melanie Davis, Joshua Chamberlin, Jennifer Gardner, Kristin Connelly, Madilyn Gamble, Brian Beckman, David Beauchamp
Salmon, forage fish, and kelp Salmon, forage fish, and kelp
Kelp beds are prominent features of northeast Pacific coastlines. They are seasonal in nature, as are the communities that use them. Here, juvenile and adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) – key components of northeast Pacific marine food webs that link plankton and forage fishes to endangered killer whales – have just arrived at the coastal kelp beds (left) and are feeding on...
Authors
Anne Shaffer, Dave Parks, Erik Schoen, David Beauchamp
Freshwater tidal forests and estuarine wetlands may confer early life growth advantages for delta-reared Chinook Salmon Freshwater tidal forests and estuarine wetlands may confer early life growth advantages for delta-reared Chinook Salmon
Large river deltas are complex ecosystems that are believed to play a pivotal role in promoting the early marine growth and survival of threatened Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. We used a fish bioenergetics model to assess the functional role of multiple delta habitats across a gradient of salinities and vegetation types, where consumption and growth rate potential (GRP) were...
Authors
Melanie Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, David Beauchamp, Glynnis Nakai, Susan De La Cruz
Development of new information to inform fish passage decisions at the Yale and Merwin hydro projects on the Lewis River, Washington—Final report, 2018 Development of new information to inform fish passage decisions at the Yale and Merwin hydro projects on the Lewis River, Washington—Final report, 2018
The reintroduction of extirpated salmonids to historically occupied areas is becoming increasingly common as a conservation and recovery strategy. Often, reintroductions are implemented after the factors that originally led to species extirpation have been reduced, eliminated, or mitigated. For anadromous Oncorhynchus spp. (Pacific salmon) and O. mykiss (steelhead), addressing barriers...
Authors
Robert Al-Chokhachy, Christopher L. Clark, Mark Sorel, David Beauchamp
Migratory coupling between predators and prey Migratory coupling between predators and prey
Animal migrations act to couple ecosystems and are undertaken by some of the world’s most endangered taxa. Predators often exploit migrant prey, but the movements taken by these consumers are rarely studied or understood. We define such movements, where migrant prey induce large-scale movements of predators, as migratory coupling. Migratory coupling can have ecological consequences for...
Authors
Nathan Furey, Jonathan B. Armstrong, David Beauchamp, Scott Hinch
Integrated diet analyses reveal contrasting trophic niches for wild and hatchery juvenile Chinook Salmon in a large river delta Integrated diet analyses reveal contrasting trophic niches for wild and hatchery juvenile Chinook Salmon in a large river delta
Hatchery programs have been used as a conservation tool to bolster declining populations of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha along much of the North American Pacific coast. In many watersheds, hatchery stocks are released concurrently with the wild population, thus raising the potential for density‐dependent effects. Competition for prey resources during the critical period for...
Authors
Melanie Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, David Beauchamp, Glynnis Nakai, Susan De La Cruz
Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake
Mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi, a valuable piscivorous fish, have been stocked into many lakes in China since the 1990s. This study did the first attempt to evaluate the ecological effects of hatchery-reared mandarin fish stocking in the Yangtze River basin lakes. Our study demonstrated a significant change in fish community composition after mandarin fish stocking, but no fish...
Authors
Wei Li, Brendan Hicks, Mingli Lin, Chuanbo Guo, Tanglin Zhang, Jiashou Liu, Zhongjie Li, David Beauchamp
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
Filter Total Items: 65
Physiological and nutritional constraints on zooplankton productivity due to eutrophication and climate change predicted using a resource-based modeling approach Physiological and nutritional constraints on zooplankton productivity due to eutrophication and climate change predicted using a resource-based modeling approach
Emerging evidence suggests that zooplankton production is affected by physiological and nutritional constraints due to climate change and eutrophication, which in turn could have broad implications for food-web dynamics and fisheries production. In this study, we developed a resource-based zooplankton production dynamics model that causally links freshwater cladoceran and copepod daily...
Authors
Chen Zhang, Michael Brett, Jens Nielsen, George Arhonditsis, Ashley Ballantyne, Jackie Carter, Jacob Kann, Dorthe Muller-Navarra, Daniel E. Schindler, Jason Stockwell, Monika Winder, David Beauchamp
Merging empirical and mechanistic approaches to modeling aquatic visual foraging using a generalizable visual reaction distance model Merging empirical and mechanistic approaches to modeling aquatic visual foraging using a generalizable visual reaction distance model
Visual encounter distance models are important tools for predicting how light and water clarity mediate visual predator-prey interactions that affect the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems at multiple spatial, temporal, and organizational scales. The two main varieties of visual encounter distance models, mechanistic and empirical, are used for similar purposes but take...
Authors
Sean Rohan, David Beauchamp, Timothy Essington, Adam Hansen
Taxonomic, temporal, and spatial variations in zooplankton fatty acid composition in Puget Sound, WA, USA Taxonomic, temporal, and spatial variations in zooplankton fatty acid composition in Puget Sound, WA, USA
Fatty acid (FA) content and composition of zooplankton in Puget Sound, Washington (USA) was studied to investigate the nutritional quality of diverse zooplankton prey for juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in terms of their essential fatty acid (EFA) content. The study focus was on eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) as these are key FA...
Authors
Minna Hiltunen, Ursula Strandberg, Michael Brett, Amanda Winans, David Beauchamp, Miika Kotila, Julie Keister
Artificial lights with different spectra do not alter detrimental attraction of young Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon along lake shorelines Artificial lights with different spectra do not alter detrimental attraction of young Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon along lake shorelines
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is common in lakes with developed shorelines, especially prevalent in the nearshore areas where juvenile fishes, including salmonids, are present. One concern is that fishes may be attracted to ALAN and become more vulnerable to predators. The use of longer wavelength lights has been suggested to reduce the effects of ALAN; however, the response in...
Authors
Roger Tabor, Elizabeth Perkin, David Beauchamp, Lyle Britt, Rebecca Haehn, John A. Greene, Timothy J. Robinson, Scott Stolnack, Daniel Lantz, Zachary Moore
Using bottom trawls to monitor subsurface water clarity in marine ecosystems Using bottom trawls to monitor subsurface water clarity in marine ecosystems
Biophysical processes that affect subsurface water clarity play a key role in ecosystem function. However, subsurface water clarity is poorly monitored in marine ecosystems because doing so requires in-situ sampling that is logistically difficult to conduct and sustain. Novel solutions are thus needed to improve monitoring of subsurface water clarity. To that end, we developed a sampling...
Authors
Sean Rohan, Stan Kotwicki, Kelly Kearney, Jennifer Schulien, Edward Laman, Edward Cokelet, David Beauchamp, Lyle Britt, Kerim Aydin, Stephani Zador
Variable prey consumption leads to distinct regional differences in Chinook salmon growth during the early marine critical period Variable prey consumption leads to distinct regional differences in Chinook salmon growth during the early marine critical period
Growth during the early marine critical period is positively associated with survival and recruitment for Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., so it is important to understand how certain foraging strategies may bolster growth in estuarine and marine environments. To elucidate how spatiotemporal and demographic differences in diet contribute to growth rate variability, we analyzed stomach...
Authors
Melanie Davis, Joshua Chamberlin, Jennifer Gardner, Kristin Connelly, Madilyn Gamble, Brian Beckman, David Beauchamp
Salmon, forage fish, and kelp Salmon, forage fish, and kelp
Kelp beds are prominent features of northeast Pacific coastlines. They are seasonal in nature, as are the communities that use them. Here, juvenile and adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) – key components of northeast Pacific marine food webs that link plankton and forage fishes to endangered killer whales – have just arrived at the coastal kelp beds (left) and are feeding on...
Authors
Anne Shaffer, Dave Parks, Erik Schoen, David Beauchamp
Freshwater tidal forests and estuarine wetlands may confer early life growth advantages for delta-reared Chinook Salmon Freshwater tidal forests and estuarine wetlands may confer early life growth advantages for delta-reared Chinook Salmon
Large river deltas are complex ecosystems that are believed to play a pivotal role in promoting the early marine growth and survival of threatened Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. We used a fish bioenergetics model to assess the functional role of multiple delta habitats across a gradient of salinities and vegetation types, where consumption and growth rate potential (GRP) were...
Authors
Melanie Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, David Beauchamp, Glynnis Nakai, Susan De La Cruz
Development of new information to inform fish passage decisions at the Yale and Merwin hydro projects on the Lewis River, Washington—Final report, 2018 Development of new information to inform fish passage decisions at the Yale and Merwin hydro projects on the Lewis River, Washington—Final report, 2018
The reintroduction of extirpated salmonids to historically occupied areas is becoming increasingly common as a conservation and recovery strategy. Often, reintroductions are implemented after the factors that originally led to species extirpation have been reduced, eliminated, or mitigated. For anadromous Oncorhynchus spp. (Pacific salmon) and O. mykiss (steelhead), addressing barriers...
Authors
Robert Al-Chokhachy, Christopher L. Clark, Mark Sorel, David Beauchamp
Migratory coupling between predators and prey Migratory coupling between predators and prey
Animal migrations act to couple ecosystems and are undertaken by some of the world’s most endangered taxa. Predators often exploit migrant prey, but the movements taken by these consumers are rarely studied or understood. We define such movements, where migrant prey induce large-scale movements of predators, as migratory coupling. Migratory coupling can have ecological consequences for...
Authors
Nathan Furey, Jonathan B. Armstrong, David Beauchamp, Scott Hinch
Integrated diet analyses reveal contrasting trophic niches for wild and hatchery juvenile Chinook Salmon in a large river delta Integrated diet analyses reveal contrasting trophic niches for wild and hatchery juvenile Chinook Salmon in a large river delta
Hatchery programs have been used as a conservation tool to bolster declining populations of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha along much of the North American Pacific coast. In many watersheds, hatchery stocks are released concurrently with the wild population, thus raising the potential for density‐dependent effects. Competition for prey resources during the critical period for...
Authors
Melanie Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, David Beauchamp, Glynnis Nakai, Susan De La Cruz
Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake
Mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi, a valuable piscivorous fish, have been stocked into many lakes in China since the 1990s. This study did the first attempt to evaluate the ecological effects of hatchery-reared mandarin fish stocking in the Yangtze River basin lakes. Our study demonstrated a significant change in fish community composition after mandarin fish stocking, but no fish...
Authors
Wei Li, Brendan Hicks, Mingli Lin, Chuanbo Guo, Tanglin Zhang, Jiashou Liu, Zhongjie Li, David Beauchamp
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.