Jonathan Kennen

Dr. Kennen currently conducts and coordinates a highly diverse range of research to address the informational needs of the USGS, its partners, state agencies and NGOs. His research is centered on three primary areas: 1) evaluating the effects of hydrologic modification on stream assemblages, 2) assessing the effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystem structure and function and 3) modeling flow alteration-ecology response relations. He is a co-developer of the USGS Hydroecological Integrity Assessment (HIT) Process which implements a set of tools for setting environmental-flow standards and comparing past and proposed streamflow alterations. Other ongoing research efforts include assessing the effects of water-supply development on aquatic assemblages, modeling the responses of stream macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages to land use changes, evaluating methods to support TMDL processes using hydrologic modification as a surrogate for aquatic life impairment, assessing ecological trends, and evaluating the effects of climate change on hydrological and ecological response. Dr. Kennen also represents the U.S. Geological Survey on multi-agency technical advisory committees addressing complex ecological, hydrological, water-quality, management, and natural resource issues and currently serves on the New Jersey Science Advisory Board (Ecological Processes Committee) and the Advisory Council for the New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute.