Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Jim Peterson, PhD
Unit Leader - Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Jim joined the Georgia Unit as Assistant Unit Leader in 1999 and moved to the Oregon Unit in 2011, becoming Unit Leader in 2019. Jim's research focuses on multiple aspects of aquatic ecology- with an emphasis on stream fish communities. Most of his work has been in identifying and quantifying the effects of physical and biotic factors on stream fishes at multiple scales. This includes studies of population dynamics, community production, and fish-habitat/landscape relationships. Other aspects of his research include evaluating the efficiency of fish collection and population-estimation techniques and computer software development. He believes that the status of natural resources is dependent upon the ability to predict the impacts of environmental perturbations or differing management schemes. Thus, the principal goal of his research is to develop the tools and understanding necessary for effective and efficient fisheries management and conservation.
Jim has an extensive background in animal population estimation and modeling, and the application of decision theoretic methods to solving complex ecological and resource management problems. A primary focus of his research is on identifying and quantifying the effects of physical and biotic factors on animal populations at multiple scales. This includes studies of population dynamics, community production, and habitat/landscape relationships. Jim develops unique analytic approaches to estimate population demographic parameters that integrate data collected at multiple spatial and temporal scales to provide unique insights into multiscale processes affecting animal populations. He then uses decision theoretic approaches to assist natural resource decision making and adaptive management. Jim teaches a graduate level classed in Data Management and R computing for Fisheries and Wildlife students, Structured Decision Making in Natural Resource Management, and Quantitative Decision Analysis for Fish and Wildlife Management.
Jim received graduate degrees from the University of Illinois and University of Missouri and was a post-doctoral researcher with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Science and Products
SERAP: The Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Species and Habitat in the Southeast
USGS researchers assessed how climate change can affect land cover and flow in river systems, examining a variety of resolutions for detecting and projecting the conditions of aquatic habitats and species.
Tufted puffins on the Oregon Coast
Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Adult tufted puffin feeds fish to a juvenile puffin
Adult tufted puffin feeds fish to a juvenile puffin. Illustration by Carina Kusaka. Permission agreement on file.
Adult tufted puffin feeds fish to a juvenile puffin. Illustration by Carina Kusaka. Permission agreement on file.
Happy seals swim at the Oregon Coast
Seals swim along the Oregon Coast. Modeling animal movement through landscapes is a key component to understanding population
ecology, how populations can be managed, how human actions impact the population.
Seals swim along the Oregon Coast. Modeling animal movement through landscapes is a key component to understanding population
ecology, how populations can be managed, how human actions impact the population.
Tufted puffins are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest
Tufted puffins are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Tufted puffins are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Tufted puffin flying over the Oregon Coast
Tufted puffin flying over the Oregon Coast. The Tufted Puffin – a seabird of the North Pacific Rim – has evinced steep declines off the west coast of the continental United States in recent years, but it is less clear that the species is declining in the northern portion of its range.
Tufted puffin flying over the Oregon Coast. The Tufted Puffin – a seabird of the North Pacific Rim – has evinced steep declines off the west coast of the continental United States in recent years, but it is less clear that the species is declining in the northern portion of its range.
Science and Products
SERAP: The Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Species and Habitat in the Southeast
USGS researchers assessed how climate change can affect land cover and flow in river systems, examining a variety of resolutions for detecting and projecting the conditions of aquatic habitats and species.
Tufted puffins on the Oregon Coast
Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Adult tufted puffin feeds fish to a juvenile puffin
Adult tufted puffin feeds fish to a juvenile puffin. Illustration by Carina Kusaka. Permission agreement on file.
Adult tufted puffin feeds fish to a juvenile puffin. Illustration by Carina Kusaka. Permission agreement on file.
Happy seals swim at the Oregon Coast
Seals swim along the Oregon Coast. Modeling animal movement through landscapes is a key component to understanding population
ecology, how populations can be managed, how human actions impact the population.
Seals swim along the Oregon Coast. Modeling animal movement through landscapes is a key component to understanding population
ecology, how populations can be managed, how human actions impact the population.
Tufted puffins are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest
Tufted puffins are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Tufted puffins are an iconic species in the Pacific Northwest that provide a wide range of ecological, economic, and historically important services such as ecotourism for local communities- and bringing marine derived nutrients to terrestrial habitats.
Tufted puffin flying over the Oregon Coast
Tufted puffin flying over the Oregon Coast. The Tufted Puffin – a seabird of the North Pacific Rim – has evinced steep declines off the west coast of the continental United States in recent years, but it is less clear that the species is declining in the northern portion of its range.
Tufted puffin flying over the Oregon Coast. The Tufted Puffin – a seabird of the North Pacific Rim – has evinced steep declines off the west coast of the continental United States in recent years, but it is less clear that the species is declining in the northern portion of its range.