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
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—A synthesis of science, 2005 to 2012
Population trends, bend use relative to available habitat and within-river-bend habitat use of eight indicator species of Missouri and Lower Kansas River benthic fishes: 15 years after baseline assessment
A stochastic bioenergetics model based approach to translating large river flow and temperature in to fish population responses: The pallid sturgeon example
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River: annual report 2011
Shovelnose Sturgeon: Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque, 1820)
Pallid Sturgeon: Scaphirhynchus albus (Forbes and Richardson 1905)
Gonadosomatic index and fecundity of Lower Missouri and Middle Mississippi River endangered pallid sturgeon estimated using minimally invasive techniques
Ecological prediction with nonlinear multivariate time-frequency functional data models
Semiparametric bivariate zero-inflated Poisson models with application to studies of abundance for multiple species
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Lower Missouri River: Annual report 2010
Modeling responses of large-river fish populations to global climate change through downscaling and incorporation of predictive uncertainty
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
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Filter Total Items: 89
Ecological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River—A synthesis of science, 2005 to 2012
This report is intended to synthesize the state of the scientific understanding of pallid sturgeon ecological requirements to provide recommendations for future science directions and context for Missouri River restoration and management decisions. Recruitment of pallid sturgeon has been low to non-existent throughout its range. Emerging understanding of the genetic structure of pallid sturgeon poAuthorsAaron J. Delonay, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Robert B. Jacobson, Janice L. Albers, Patrick J. Braaten, Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Susannah O. Erwin, David B Fuller, Justin D. Haas, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Mark L. WildhaberPopulation trends, bend use relative to available habitat and within-river-bend habitat use of eight indicator species of Missouri and Lower Kansas River benthic fishes: 15 years after baseline assessment
A baseline assessment of the Missouri River fish community and species-specific habitat use patterns conducted from 1996 to 1998 provided the first comprehensive analysis of Missouri River benthic fish population trends and habitat use in the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone rivers, exclusive of reservoirs, and provided the foundation for the present Pallid Sturgeon Population Assessment Program (PSAuthorsMark L. Wildhaber, Wen-Hsi Yang, Ali ArabA stochastic bioenergetics model based approach to translating large river flow and temperature in to fish population responses: The pallid sturgeon example
In managing fish populations, especially at-risk species, realistic mathematical models are needed to help predict population response to potential management actions in the context of environmental conditions and changing climate while effectively incorporating the stochastic nature of real world conditions. We provide a key component of such a model for the endangered pallid sturgeon (ScaphirhynAuthorsMark L. Wildhaber, Rima Dey, Christopher K. Wikle, Edward H. Moran, Christopher J. Anderson, Kristie J. FranzEcological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Missouri River: annual report 2011
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of work is devAuthorsAaron J. DeLonay, Robert B. Jacobson, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Mandy L. Annis, P. J. Braaten, Caroline M. Elliott, D. B. Fuller, Justin D. Haas, Tyler M. Haddix, Hallie L.A. Ladd, Brandon J. McElroy, Gerald E. Mestl, Diana M. Papoulias, Jason C. Rhoten, Mark L. WildhaberShovelnose Sturgeon: Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque, 1820)
No abstract available.AuthorsMark L. WildhaberPallid Sturgeon: Scaphirhynchus albus (Forbes and Richardson 1905)
No abstract available.AuthorsMark L. WildhaberGonadosomatic index and fecundity of Lower Missouri and Middle Mississippi River endangered pallid sturgeon estimated using minimally invasive techniques
Minimally invasive, non-lethal methods of ultrasonography were used to assess sex, egg diameter, fecundity, gonad volume, and gonadosomatic index, as well as endoscopy to visually assess the reproductive stage of Scaphirhynchus albus. Estimated mean egg diameters of 2.202 ± 0.187 mm and mean fecundity of 44 531 ± 23 940 eggs were similar to previous studies using invasive techniques. Mean S. albusAuthorsJ.L. Albers, M. L. Wildhaber, A. J. DeLonayEcological prediction with nonlinear multivariate time-frequency functional data models
Time-frequency analysis has become a fundamental component of many scientific inquiries. Due to improvements in technology, the amount of high-frequency signals that are collected for ecological and other scientific processes is increasing at a dramatic rate. In order to facilitate the use of these data in ecological prediction, we introduce a class of nonlinear multivariate time-frequency functioAuthorsWen-Hsi Yang, Christopher K. Wikle, Scott H. Holan, Mark L. WildhaberSemiparametric bivariate zero-inflated Poisson models with application to studies of abundance for multiple species
Ecological studies involving counts of abundance, presence–absence or occupancy rates often produce data having a substantial proportion of zeros. Furthermore, these types of processes are typically multivariate and only adequately described by complex nonlinear relationships involving externally measured covariates. Ignoring these aspects of the data and implementing standard approaches can leadAuthorsAli Arab, Scott H. Holan, Christopher K. Wikle, Mark L. WildhaberEcological requirements for pallid sturgeon reproduction and recruitment in the Lower Missouri River: Annual report 2010
The Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multiyear, multiagency collaborative research framework developed to provide information to support pallid sturgeon recovery and Missouri River management decisions. The project strategy integrates field and laboratory studies of sturgeon reproductive ecology, early life history, habitat requirements, and physiology. The project scope of work is devAuthorsAaron J. DeLonay, Robert B. Jacobson, Diana M. Papoulias, Mark L. Wildhaber, Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Emily K. Pherigo, Justin D. Haas, Gerald E. MestlModeling responses of large-river fish populations to global climate change through downscaling and incorporation of predictive uncertainty
Climate change operates over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. Understanding its effects on ecosystems requires multi-scale models. For understanding effects on fish populations of riverine ecosystems, climate predicted by coarse-resolution Global Climate Models must be downscaled to Regional Climate Models to watersheds to river hydrology to population response. An additional challeAuthorsMark L. Wildhaber, Christopher K. Wikle, Christopher J. Anderson, Kristie J. Franz, Edward H. Moran, Rima DeyNon-USGS Publications**
Wildhaber, M.L., and Neill, W.H., 1992, Activity and distribution of northern and Florida largemouth bass in a Texas impound: Journal of Freshwater Ecology, v. 7, no. 3, p. 293-302
Wildhaber, M.L., and Crowder, L.B., 1991, Mechanisms of patch choice by bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) foraging in a variable environment: Copeia, v. 1991, no. 2, p. 445-460Wildhaber, M.L., Green, R.F., and Crowder, L.B., 1994, Bluegills continuously update patch giving-up times based on foraging experience: Animal Behaviour, v. 47, no. 3, p. 501-513.W. Westerman, P., M. Losordo, T., and L. Wildhaber, M., 1996, Evaluation of Various Biofilters in an Intensive Recirculating Fish Production Facility: Transactions of the ASAE, v. 39, no. 2, p. 723-727.**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