Keith Miles is the Center Director of the Western Ecological Research Center.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Community ecology
- Contaminants
- Cumulative effects
- Ecotoxicology
- Invertebrate ecology
- Marine mammal ecology
- Nearshore marine ecology
Professional Experience
Research Biologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, Jun 1997-present
Graduate Faculty, Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Jan 1998-present
Research Biologist, National Biological Service, Davis, California, Oct 1993-Jun 1997
Research Biologist, USFWS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, Jul 1986-Oct 1993
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Wildlife Ecology, Oregon State University 1987
M.S., Wildlife Biology, Oregon State University 1976
B.S., Zoology, Howard University 1972
Affiliations and Memberships*
Ecological Society of America
Estuarine Research Federation
Northern California Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Pacific Estuarine Research Society
The Wildlife Soc
Science and Products
WERC Fire Science
WERC scientists are defining the past, present, and future of wildfires for wildlife and human communities. Explore this webpage to learn about specific, ongoing projects across California and parts of Nevada.
Polar Bear Health and Disease Diagnostics
In 2012, scientists noticed that nearly a third of polar bears sampled in a study in Alaska were suffering from hair loss and poor health. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles of WERC used new technology to track down and identify the factors responsible for driving disease in Alaskan polar bears.
Developing Physiological Diagnostics for the Desert Tortoise
The Mojave desert tortoise is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and faces threats from habitat loss, predators, and disease. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles with WERC are designing new methods to determine the type and influence of stressors present in the environment for the tortoise and other wildlife.
Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Environmental stressors such as contaminants and disease can cause physiological imbalance in all types of wildlife. WERC’s Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles develop gene transcription profiles to detect organisms’ physiological responses to environmental stressors and provide resource managers with early warnings for potential effects on wildlife and ecosystem health.
Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
WERC is headquartered on the campus of California State University Sacramento and is aptly known as the ‘center without walls.’ The Center's headquarters houses management and administrative staff that support the dispersed science structure of WERC scientists which are located at or near ecosystems aligned with their expertise and often co-located with or near DOI partners at field stations in...
Davis Field Station
The Davis Field Station is home to research programs that focus on coastal ecosystem dynamics, ecological stressors, and their effects on wildlife populations. These studies primarily take place along the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands to southern California. Current projects investigate sea-level rise along both coasts of North America, landscape-scale aquatic and terrestrial ecology...
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
WERC Fire Science
WERC scientists are defining the past, present, and future of wildfires for wildlife and human communities. Explore this webpage to learn about specific, ongoing projects across California and parts of Nevada.Polar Bear Health and Disease Diagnostics
In 2012, scientists noticed that nearly a third of polar bears sampled in a study in Alaska were suffering from hair loss and poor health. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles of WERC used new technology to track down and identify the factors responsible for driving disease in Alaskan polar bears.Developing Physiological Diagnostics for the Desert Tortoise
The Mojave desert tortoise is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act and faces threats from habitat loss, predators, and disease. Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles with WERC are designing new methods to determine the type and influence of stressors present in the environment for the tortoise and other wildlife.Environmental Stressors and Wildlife Health
Environmental stressors such as contaminants and disease can cause physiological imbalance in all types of wildlife. WERC’s Drs. Lizabeth Bowen and A. Keith Miles develop gene transcription profiles to detect organisms’ physiological responses to environmental stressors and provide resource managers with early warnings for potential effects on wildlife and ecosystem health.Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
WERC is headquartered on the campus of California State University Sacramento and is aptly known as the ‘center without walls.’ The Center's headquarters houses management and administrative staff that support the dispersed science structure of WERC scientists which are located at or near ecosystems aligned with their expertise and often co-located with or near DOI partners at field stations in...Davis Field Station
The Davis Field Station is home to research programs that focus on coastal ecosystem dynamics, ecological stressors, and their effects on wildlife populations. These studies primarily take place along the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands to southern California. Current projects investigate sea-level rise along both coasts of North America, landscape-scale aquatic and terrestrial ecology... - Data
- Multimedia
- News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government