Mark Wildhaber, PhD
Dr. Mark Wildhaber is a Research Ecologist at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
Mark has worked at USGS, Columbia Environment Research Center since 1991. His major responsibilities include research in all areas of aquatic ecology, fish biology, behavioral ecology, ecological modeling, and climate change in understanding for and support of conservation and recovery efforts. His expertise includes: at-risk, threatened, and endangered fishes, reproductive ecology, bioenergetics and population, community, and ecosystem modeling and forecasting, population monitoring and experiment designs, and Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches to analyzing fisheries data. Mark's research includes reproductive behavior and physiology and abiotic and biotic requirements for reproductive success of commercially valuable and/or federally-listed as threatened or endangered fishes; effects of heavy metals and acidic contamination on riverine ecosystems; effects of water management on the benthic fish community of riverine ecosystems; effects of organic and inorganic contamination on aquatic benthic invertebrate communities; and spatial and temporal hierarchical fish population modeling using spatially-explicit individual-based models that incorporate bioenergetics, foraging theory, and other models of habitat choice under varying environmental conditions in the context of global climate to guide conservation and recovery efforts.
Professional Experience
1997-present Research Ecologist/Quantitative Ecology Section Leader, USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center
1991-1997 Statistician, USFWS/NBS National Fisheries Contaminant Research Center
1989-1991 Research Associate and Tutor, Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University
1983-1989 Research and Teaching Assistant, Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University
1981-1983 Teaching Assistant, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Texas A&M University
1979 Laboratory Assistant, Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Zoology and Biomathematics, Southeast Missouri State University 1989
M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Southeast Missouri State University 1985
B.S. Zoology and Mathematics, Minor in Chemistry, Southeast Missouri State University 1981
Affiliations and Memberships*
2017-presesent, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Sturgeon Specialty Group Commission Member
2009-present Member, World Sturgeon Conservation Society
2002-present Fellow, American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists
1993-present Member, North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society
1993-1994 Continuing Education Coordinator, North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society
1993-present Member, Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
1993-1995 Continuing Education Coordinator, Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
1990-present Member, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
1988-present Member, Animal Behavior Society
2004-present Member, Conservation Committee, Animal Behavior Society
1984-present, Member, American Fisheries Society
1994-1995 Member Publications Award Committee, American Fisheries Society
1994-1998 Associate Editor, The Progressive Fish Culturist, American Fisheries Society
Science and Products
Projecting Future Impacts to River Systems and Large River Fish: Missouri River Sturgeon Example
Bird detections from multi-species point surveys at lowland forest restoration sites, Indiana, United States, April – June 2016, with resampling code
Chronic toxicity of metals in two water hardness to three sizes of the crayfish Faxonius quadruncus Missouri, USA 2017-2018
Effects of metals from historical mining on crayfish in Madison County Missouri USA, 2015
Captures and habitat classification of benthic fishes along the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers, 1996-1998
Occupancy model coefficients and observed co-occurrence simulations for sicklefin chub, sturgeon chub, and associated fishes in the Missouri River
Crayfish morphometric measurements, burrow attributes and occupancy in response to physical burrow barriers
Human use and activities at two urban riparian forest restoration sites in Indiana, USA, May-Sept, 2016
Survival, behavior, reproduction, morphometric measurements, and tissue analyses of crayfish, mussels, and fish from acute pesticide toxicity tests
Electro-olfactory responses of Grass Carp, Bighead Carp, and Silver Carp to the amino acids L-alanine, L-arginine, L-aspartic acid, L-asparagine, L-glutamine, and L‑glutamic acid
Missouri River juvenile sturgeon and adult chub fish weight and behavior
Terrestrial Invertebrate Diversity and Occurrence in Restored Hardwood Forest Floodplains, Indiana, United States, June – August 2016
Simulated impacts of feather oiling on avian energetics and migration: R environment model code and raw output
Survey effort and targeted landbird community metrics at Indiana lowland forest restoration sites
Chronic effects of metal releases from historical mining on threatened crayfish in Madison County Missouri, USA
Sicklefin Chub (Macrhybopsis meeki) and Sturgeon Chub (M. gelida) temporal and spatial patterns from extant population monitoring and habitat data spanning 23 Years
Efficient mammal biodiversity surveys for ecological restoration monitoring
Visitor use and activities detected using trail cameras at forest restoration sites
A review of grass carp and related species literature on diet, behavior, toxicology, and physiology focused on informing development of controls for invasive grass carp populations in North America
Use of physical blockers to control invasive red swamp crayfish in burrows
Incorporating metapopulation dynamics to inform invasive species management: Evaluating bighead and silver carp control strategies in the Illinois River
Herbivorous grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) exhibit greater olfactory response to amino acids than filter-feeding bighead (Hypophthalmichthysnobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Terrestrial invertebrate diversity and occurrence in restored hardwood forest floodplains, Indiana, United States, June–August 2016
Laboratory studies of potential competition for food and substrate among early juvenile Missouri River sturgeon and sympatric chub species
Interaction between transect design and animal distribution in distance sampling of deer
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Projecting Future Impacts to River Systems and Large River Fish: Missouri River Sturgeon Example
Bird detections from multi-species point surveys at lowland forest restoration sites, Indiana, United States, April – June 2016, with resampling code
Chronic toxicity of metals in two water hardness to three sizes of the crayfish Faxonius quadruncus Missouri, USA 2017-2018
Effects of metals from historical mining on crayfish in Madison County Missouri USA, 2015
Captures and habitat classification of benthic fishes along the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers, 1996-1998
Occupancy model coefficients and observed co-occurrence simulations for sicklefin chub, sturgeon chub, and associated fishes in the Missouri River
Crayfish morphometric measurements, burrow attributes and occupancy in response to physical burrow barriers
Human use and activities at two urban riparian forest restoration sites in Indiana, USA, May-Sept, 2016
Survival, behavior, reproduction, morphometric measurements, and tissue analyses of crayfish, mussels, and fish from acute pesticide toxicity tests
Electro-olfactory responses of Grass Carp, Bighead Carp, and Silver Carp to the amino acids L-alanine, L-arginine, L-aspartic acid, L-asparagine, L-glutamine, and L‑glutamic acid
Missouri River juvenile sturgeon and adult chub fish weight and behavior
Terrestrial Invertebrate Diversity and Occurrence in Restored Hardwood Forest Floodplains, Indiana, United States, June – August 2016
Simulated impacts of feather oiling on avian energetics and migration: R environment model code and raw output
Survey effort and targeted landbird community metrics at Indiana lowland forest restoration sites
Chronic effects of metal releases from historical mining on threatened crayfish in Madison County Missouri, USA
Sicklefin Chub (Macrhybopsis meeki) and Sturgeon Chub (M. gelida) temporal and spatial patterns from extant population monitoring and habitat data spanning 23 Years
Efficient mammal biodiversity surveys for ecological restoration monitoring
Visitor use and activities detected using trail cameras at forest restoration sites
A review of grass carp and related species literature on diet, behavior, toxicology, and physiology focused on informing development of controls for invasive grass carp populations in North America
Use of physical blockers to control invasive red swamp crayfish in burrows
Incorporating metapopulation dynamics to inform invasive species management: Evaluating bighead and silver carp control strategies in the Illinois River
Herbivorous grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) exhibit greater olfactory response to amino acids than filter-feeding bighead (Hypophthalmichthysnobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Terrestrial invertebrate diversity and occurrence in restored hardwood forest floodplains, Indiana, United States, June–August 2016
Laboratory studies of potential competition for food and substrate among early juvenile Missouri River sturgeon and sympatric chub species
Interaction between transect design and animal distribution in distance sampling of deer
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
*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