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
Trophic compression of lake food webs under hydrologic disturbance Trophic compression of lake food webs under hydrologic disturbance
The need to protect biostructure is increasingly recognized, yet empirical studies of how human exploits affect ecological networks are rare. Studying the effects of variation in human disturbance intensity from decades past can help us understand and anticipate ecosystem change under alleviated or amplified disturbance over decades to come. Here, we use stable isotopes and an innovative
Authors
Adam Hansen, Jennifer Gardner, Kristin Connelly, Matt Polacek, David Beauchamp
Size, growth, and size‐selective mortality of subyearling Chinook Salmon during early marine residence in Puget Sound Size, growth, and size‐selective mortality of subyearling Chinook Salmon during early marine residence in Puget Sound
In marine ecosystems, survival can be heavily influenced by size‐selective mortality during juvenile life stages. Understanding how and when size‐selective mortality operates on a population can reveal underlying growth dynamics and size‐selective ecological processes affecting the population and thus can be used to guide conservation efforts. For subyearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus
Authors
Madilyn Gamble, Kristin Connelly, Jennifer Gardner, Joshua Chamberlin, Kenneth Warheit, David Beauchamp
Juvenile coho salmon growth and health in streams across an urbanization gradient Juvenile coho salmon growth and health in streams across an urbanization gradient
Expanding human population and urbanization alters freshwater systems through structural changes to habitat, temperature effects from increased runoff and reduced canopy cover, altered flows, and increased toxicants. Current stream assessments stop short of measuring health or condition of species utilizing these freshwater habitats and fail to link specific stressors mechanistically to...
Authors
Andrew R. Spanjer, Patrick Moran, Kimberly Larsen, Lisa Wetzel, Adam Hansen, David Beauchamp
Energetic requirements of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) feeding on burrowing shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) in estuaries: importance of temperature, reproductive investment, and residence time Energetic requirements of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) feeding on burrowing shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) in estuaries: importance of temperature, reproductive investment, and residence time
Habitat use can be complex, as tradeoffs among physiology, resource abundance, and predator avoidance affect the suitability of different environments for different species. Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), an imperiled species along the west coast of North America, undertake extensive coastal migrations and occupy estuaries during the summer and early fall. Warm water and...
Authors
Joshua Borin, Mary Moser, Adam Hansen, David Beauchamp, Stephen Corbett, Brett Dumbauld, Casey Pruitt, Jennifer Ruesink, Cinde Donoghue
Linking functional response and bioenergetics to estimate juvenile salmon growth in a reservoir food web Linking functional response and bioenergetics to estimate juvenile salmon growth in a reservoir food web
Juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) use of reservoir food webs is understudied. We examined the feeding behavior of subyearling Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) and its relation to growth by estimating the functional response of juvenile salmon to changes in the density of Daphnia, an important component of reservoir food webs. We then estimated salmon growth across a broad range of water
Authors
Craig Haskell, David Beauchamp, Stephen M. Bollens
Trophic interactions and consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon and nonnative juvenile American Shad in Columbia River reservoirs Trophic interactions and consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon and nonnative juvenile American Shad in Columbia River reservoirs
We used a large lampara seine coupled with nonlethal gastric lavage to examine the diets and estimate consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha during July and August 2013. During August we also examined the diet and consumption rates of juvenile American Shad Alosa sapidissima, a potential competitor of subyearling Chinook Salmon. Subyearling Chinook...
Authors
Craig Haskell, David Beauchamp, Stephen Bollins
Recovery of sockeye salmon in the Elwha River, Washington, after dam removal: Dependence of smolt production on the resumption of anadromy by landlocked kokanee Recovery of sockeye salmon in the Elwha River, Washington, after dam removal: Dependence of smolt production on the resumption of anadromy by landlocked kokanee
Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. are adept at colonizing habitat that has been reopened to anadromous passage. Sockeye Salmon O. nerka are unique in that most populations require lakes to fulfill their life history. Thus, for Sockeye Salmon to colonize a system, projects like dam removals must provide access to lakes. However, if the lakes contain landlocked kokanee (lacustrine Sockeye...
Authors
Adam G. Hansen, Jennifer Gardner, David Beauchamp, Rebecca Paradis, Thomas Quinn
Trophic feasibility of reintroducing anadromous salmonids in three reservoirs on the north fork Lewis River, Washington: Prey supply and consumption demand of resident fishes Trophic feasibility of reintroducing anadromous salmonids in three reservoirs on the north fork Lewis River, Washington: Prey supply and consumption demand of resident fishes
The reintroduction of anadromous salmonids in reservoirs is being proposed with increasing frequency, requiring baseline studies to evaluate feasibility and estimate the capacity of reservoir food webs to support reintroduced populations. Using three reservoirs on the north fork Lewis River as a case study, we demonstrate a method to determine juvenile salmonid smolt rearing capacities...
Authors
Mark Sorel, Adam G. Hansen, Kristin Connelly, David Beauchamp
Effect of body size and temperature on respiration of Galaxias maculatus (Pisces: Galaxiidae) Effect of body size and temperature on respiration of Galaxias maculatus (Pisces: Galaxiidae)
Body mass and temperature are primary determinants of metabolic rate in ectothermic animals. Oxygen consumption of post-larval Galaxias maculatus was measured in respirometry trials under different temperatures (5–21°C) and varying body masses (0.1–>1.5 g) spanning a relevant range of thermal conditions and sizes. Specific respiration rates (R in g O2 g−1 d−1) declined as a power...
Authors
D. Milano, P.H. Vigliano, David Beauchamp
Growth of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss under size-selective pressure limited by seasonal bioenergetic and environmental constraints Growth of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss under size-selective pressure limited by seasonal bioenergetic and environmental constraints
Increased freshwater growth of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss improved survival to smolt and adult stages, thus prompting an examination of factors affecting growth during critical periods that influenced survival through subsequent life stages. For three tributaries with contrasting thermal regimes, a bioenergetics model was used to evaluate how feeding rate and energy density...
Authors
Jamie Thompson, David Beauchamp
Predation by Northern Pikeminnow and tiger muskellunge on juvenile salmonids in a high–head reservoir: Implications for anadromous fish reintroductions Predation by Northern Pikeminnow and tiger muskellunge on juvenile salmonids in a high–head reservoir: Implications for anadromous fish reintroductions
The feasibility of reintroducing anadromous salmonids into reservoirs above high-head dams is affected by the suitability of the reservoir habitat for rearing and the interactions of the resident fish with introduced fish. We evaluated the predation risk to anadromous salmonids considered for reintroduction in Merwin Reservoir on the North Fork Lewis River in Washington State for two...
Authors
Mark Sorel, Adam G. Hansen, Kristin Connelly, Andrew Wilson, Erin Lowery, David Beauchamp
Piscivorous fish exhibit temperature-influenced binge feeding during an annual prey pulse Piscivorous fish exhibit temperature-influenced binge feeding during an annual prey pulse
Understanding the limits of consumption is important for determining trophic influences on ecosystems and predator adaptations to inconsistent prey availability. Fishes have been observed to consume beyond what is sustainable (i.e. digested on a daily basis), but this phenomenon of hyperphagia (or binge-feeding) is largely overlooked. We expect hyperphagia to be a short-term (1-day)...
Authors
Nathan Furey, Scott Hinch, Matthew Mesa, 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
Trophic compression of lake food webs under hydrologic disturbance Trophic compression of lake food webs under hydrologic disturbance
The need to protect biostructure is increasingly recognized, yet empirical studies of how human exploits affect ecological networks are rare. Studying the effects of variation in human disturbance intensity from decades past can help us understand and anticipate ecosystem change under alleviated or amplified disturbance over decades to come. Here, we use stable isotopes and an innovative
Authors
Adam Hansen, Jennifer Gardner, Kristin Connelly, Matt Polacek, David Beauchamp
Size, growth, and size‐selective mortality of subyearling Chinook Salmon during early marine residence in Puget Sound Size, growth, and size‐selective mortality of subyearling Chinook Salmon during early marine residence in Puget Sound
In marine ecosystems, survival can be heavily influenced by size‐selective mortality during juvenile life stages. Understanding how and when size‐selective mortality operates on a population can reveal underlying growth dynamics and size‐selective ecological processes affecting the population and thus can be used to guide conservation efforts. For subyearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus
Authors
Madilyn Gamble, Kristin Connelly, Jennifer Gardner, Joshua Chamberlin, Kenneth Warheit, David Beauchamp
Juvenile coho salmon growth and health in streams across an urbanization gradient Juvenile coho salmon growth and health in streams across an urbanization gradient
Expanding human population and urbanization alters freshwater systems through structural changes to habitat, temperature effects from increased runoff and reduced canopy cover, altered flows, and increased toxicants. Current stream assessments stop short of measuring health or condition of species utilizing these freshwater habitats and fail to link specific stressors mechanistically to...
Authors
Andrew R. Spanjer, Patrick Moran, Kimberly Larsen, Lisa Wetzel, Adam Hansen, David Beauchamp
Energetic requirements of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) feeding on burrowing shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) in estuaries: importance of temperature, reproductive investment, and residence time Energetic requirements of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) feeding on burrowing shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) in estuaries: importance of temperature, reproductive investment, and residence time
Habitat use can be complex, as tradeoffs among physiology, resource abundance, and predator avoidance affect the suitability of different environments for different species. Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), an imperiled species along the west coast of North America, undertake extensive coastal migrations and occupy estuaries during the summer and early fall. Warm water and...
Authors
Joshua Borin, Mary Moser, Adam Hansen, David Beauchamp, Stephen Corbett, Brett Dumbauld, Casey Pruitt, Jennifer Ruesink, Cinde Donoghue
Linking functional response and bioenergetics to estimate juvenile salmon growth in a reservoir food web Linking functional response and bioenergetics to estimate juvenile salmon growth in a reservoir food web
Juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) use of reservoir food webs is understudied. We examined the feeding behavior of subyearling Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) and its relation to growth by estimating the functional response of juvenile salmon to changes in the density of Daphnia, an important component of reservoir food webs. We then estimated salmon growth across a broad range of water
Authors
Craig Haskell, David Beauchamp, Stephen M. Bollens
Trophic interactions and consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon and nonnative juvenile American Shad in Columbia River reservoirs Trophic interactions and consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon and nonnative juvenile American Shad in Columbia River reservoirs
We used a large lampara seine coupled with nonlethal gastric lavage to examine the diets and estimate consumption rates of subyearling Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha during July and August 2013. During August we also examined the diet and consumption rates of juvenile American Shad Alosa sapidissima, a potential competitor of subyearling Chinook Salmon. Subyearling Chinook...
Authors
Craig Haskell, David Beauchamp, Stephen Bollins
Recovery of sockeye salmon in the Elwha River, Washington, after dam removal: Dependence of smolt production on the resumption of anadromy by landlocked kokanee Recovery of sockeye salmon in the Elwha River, Washington, after dam removal: Dependence of smolt production on the resumption of anadromy by landlocked kokanee
Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. are adept at colonizing habitat that has been reopened to anadromous passage. Sockeye Salmon O. nerka are unique in that most populations require lakes to fulfill their life history. Thus, for Sockeye Salmon to colonize a system, projects like dam removals must provide access to lakes. However, if the lakes contain landlocked kokanee (lacustrine Sockeye...
Authors
Adam G. Hansen, Jennifer Gardner, David Beauchamp, Rebecca Paradis, Thomas Quinn
Trophic feasibility of reintroducing anadromous salmonids in three reservoirs on the north fork Lewis River, Washington: Prey supply and consumption demand of resident fishes Trophic feasibility of reintroducing anadromous salmonids in three reservoirs on the north fork Lewis River, Washington: Prey supply and consumption demand of resident fishes
The reintroduction of anadromous salmonids in reservoirs is being proposed with increasing frequency, requiring baseline studies to evaluate feasibility and estimate the capacity of reservoir food webs to support reintroduced populations. Using three reservoirs on the north fork Lewis River as a case study, we demonstrate a method to determine juvenile salmonid smolt rearing capacities...
Authors
Mark Sorel, Adam G. Hansen, Kristin Connelly, David Beauchamp
Effect of body size and temperature on respiration of Galaxias maculatus (Pisces: Galaxiidae) Effect of body size and temperature on respiration of Galaxias maculatus (Pisces: Galaxiidae)
Body mass and temperature are primary determinants of metabolic rate in ectothermic animals. Oxygen consumption of post-larval Galaxias maculatus was measured in respirometry trials under different temperatures (5–21°C) and varying body masses (0.1–>1.5 g) spanning a relevant range of thermal conditions and sizes. Specific respiration rates (R in g O2 g−1 d−1) declined as a power...
Authors
D. Milano, P.H. Vigliano, David Beauchamp
Growth of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss under size-selective pressure limited by seasonal bioenergetic and environmental constraints Growth of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss under size-selective pressure limited by seasonal bioenergetic and environmental constraints
Increased freshwater growth of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss improved survival to smolt and adult stages, thus prompting an examination of factors affecting growth during critical periods that influenced survival through subsequent life stages. For three tributaries with contrasting thermal regimes, a bioenergetics model was used to evaluate how feeding rate and energy density...
Authors
Jamie Thompson, David Beauchamp
Predation by Northern Pikeminnow and tiger muskellunge on juvenile salmonids in a high–head reservoir: Implications for anadromous fish reintroductions Predation by Northern Pikeminnow and tiger muskellunge on juvenile salmonids in a high–head reservoir: Implications for anadromous fish reintroductions
The feasibility of reintroducing anadromous salmonids into reservoirs above high-head dams is affected by the suitability of the reservoir habitat for rearing and the interactions of the resident fish with introduced fish. We evaluated the predation risk to anadromous salmonids considered for reintroduction in Merwin Reservoir on the North Fork Lewis River in Washington State for two...
Authors
Mark Sorel, Adam G. Hansen, Kristin Connelly, Andrew Wilson, Erin Lowery, David Beauchamp
Piscivorous fish exhibit temperature-influenced binge feeding during an annual prey pulse Piscivorous fish exhibit temperature-influenced binge feeding during an annual prey pulse
Understanding the limits of consumption is important for determining trophic influences on ecosystems and predator adaptations to inconsistent prey availability. Fishes have been observed to consume beyond what is sustainable (i.e. digested on a daily basis), but this phenomenon of hyperphagia (or binge-feeding) is largely overlooked. We expect hyperphagia to be a short-term (1-day)...
Authors
Nathan Furey, Scott Hinch, Matthew Mesa, 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.