David A. Beauchamp, Ph.D.

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