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Ian R Waite

Ian Waite has been an aquatic ecologist in the USGS Oregon Water Science Center since June 1992.

Research Focus  My primary focus has been on understanding the effects of multiple instream stressors in wadeable streams on biological assemblages (diatoms, macroinvertebrates, fish) throughout the U.S., primarily looking at the effects of agriculture and urban land use. 

One of my specialties is the use of multivariate statistics and various modeling techniques (e.g., machine learning, predictive, etc.) to help us untangle the complex mixture of natural and anthropogenic variables at diverse spatial scales (e.g., instream, local, watershed and regional) that are effecting stream ecosystems.

I've been applying various predictive modeling approaches to better understand the causal mechanisms of disturbance on aquatic ecosystems across a large diversity of ecosystems and scales. I collaborate with other federal agencies, Indian tribes, State and non-profit groups and I am increasingly working with international researchers to better understand and improve our ability to manage aquatic ecosystems. I work to communicate the findings through public meetings, watershed councils, international science conferences and in journal publications. 

I feel I can analyze, develop models and summarize almost any type of data and present the findings in a clear concise manner.