Anderson, CM et al. 2019. How commercial fishing effort is managed. Fish and Fisheries 20:268-285. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12339
Melanie Davis
Much of my research has examined salmon recovery efforts in the Pacific Northwest through the lens of habitat restoration and climate change mitigation. My current interests include a broader array of topics such as aquatic food webs, disturbance ecology, and ecosystem resilience to climate change.
Biography
I am currently the project coordinator Assistant Unit Leader for the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in Corvallis, Oregon. My most recent work examines the role of estuarine habitat diversity in supporting juvenile salmon during their out-migration.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Restoration Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Invertebrates
- Salmon
- Wildlife Ecology
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. University of Washington, 2019
- M.S. Colorado State University, Ecology, 2012
- B.S. Miami University of Ohio, Zoology, Chemistry, 2009
Science and Products
Date published: January 1, 2019
Status: Active Assessing the Benefits and Vulnerability of Current and Future Potential Ecosystem Services of the Nisqually River Delta and other Puget Sound Estuaries
The Nisqually River Delta represents the largest wetland restoration in the Pacific Northwest. The restoration resulted in a 50% increase in potential salt marsh habitat. The Delta supports threatened salmon fisheries, large populations of migratory birds, and provides unique opportunities for recreation. The Delta also provides multiple ecosystem services, which are the benefits that wildlife...
Year Published: 2020
Variable prey consumption leads to distinct regional differences in Chinook salmon growth during the early marine critical period
Growth during the early marine critical period is positively associated with survival and recruitment for Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., so it is important to understand how certain foraging strategies may bolster growth in estuarine and marine environments. To elucidate how spatiotemporal and demographic differences in diet...
Davis, Melanie J; Chamberlin, Joshua W.; Gardner, Jennifer R.; Connelly, Kristin A.; Gamble, Madilyn M.; Beckman, Brian R; Beauchamp, David
Year Published: 2020
Carbon sources in the sediments of a restoring vs. historically unaltered salt marsh
Salt marshes provide the important ecosystem service of carbon storage in their sediments; however, little is known about the sources of such carbon and whether they differ between historically unaltered and restoring systems. In this study, stable isotope analysis was used to quantify carbon sources in a restoring, sparsely vegetated marsh (...
Drexler, Judith Z.; Davis, Melanie J.; Woo, Isa; De La Cruz, Susan E.W.Attribution: California Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2019
Development and implementation of an empirical habitat change model and decision support tool for estuarine ecosystems
Widespread land use change in coastal ecosystems has led to a decline in the amount of habitat available for fish and wildlife, lower production of ecosystem goods and services, and loss of recreational and aesthetic value. This has prompted global efforts to restore the natural hydrologic regimes of developed shorelines, especially resource-rich...
Davis, Melanie J.; Woo, Isa; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.Attribution: Western Ecological Research Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
A mosaic of estuarine habitat types with prey resources from multiple environmental strata supports a diversified foraging portfolio for juvenile Chinook salmon
Estuaries provide vital nursery habitat for threatened Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) by promoting an ecological portfolio effect, whereby multiple habitat types and environmental strata maximize foraging opportunities for out-migrating salmon by varying the abundance and composition of prey through space and time. To study this...
Woo, Isa; Davis, Melanie J.; Ellings, Christopher S.; Hodgson, Sayre; Takekawa, John Y.; Nakai, Glynnis; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.Attribution: Western Ecological Research Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
Freshwater tidal forests and estuarine wetlands may confer early life growth advantages for delta-reared Chinook Salmon
Large river deltas are complex ecosystems that are believed to play a pivotal role in promoting the early marine growth and survival of threatened Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. We used a fish bioenergetics model to assess the functional role of multiple delta habitats across a gradient of salinities and vegetation types, where...
Davis, Melanie J.; Woo, Isa; Ellings, Christopher S.; Hodgson, Sayre; Beauchamp, David A.; Nakai, Glynnis; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.
Year Published: 2018
Changes in aquatic prey resources in response to estuary restoration in Willapa Bay, southwestern Washington
Executive SummaryThe ongoing restoration of more than 200 hectares of estuarine habitat at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, southwestern Washington, is expected to benefit a variety of species, including salmonids that use estuarine and tidal marshes as rearing and feeding areas as well as migratory waterbirds. During March–June 2014 and 2015, U....
Woo, Isa; Davis, Melanie J.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.Attribution: Western Ecological Research Center, Ecosystems
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Woo, I., Davis, M.J., and De La Cruz, S., 2018. Changes in aquatic prey resources in response to estuary restoration in Willapa Bay, southwestern Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018-1194, 32 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181194.
Year Published: 2018
Integrated diet analyses reveal contrasting trophic niches for wild and hatchery juvenile Chinook Salmon in a large river delta
Hatchery programs have been used as a conservation tool to bolster declining populations of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha along much of the North American Pacific coast. In many watersheds, hatchery stocks are released concurrently with the wild population, thus raising the potential for density‐dependent effects. Competition...
Davis, Melanie J.; Woo, Isa; Ellings, Christopher S.; Hodgson, Sayre; Beauchamp, David A.; Nakai, Glynnis; De La Cruz, Susan E.W.
Year Published: 2018
Enhanced invertebrate prey production following estuarine restoration supports foraging for multiple species of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.)
Estuaries provide crucial foraging resources and nursery habitat for threatened populations of anadromous salmon. As such, there has been a global undertaking to restore habitat and tidal processes in modified estuaries. The foraging capacity of these ecosystems to support various species of out-migrating juvenile salmon can be quantified by...
Woo, Isa; Davis, Melanie J.; Ellings, Christopher S.; Nakai, Glynnis; Takekawa, John Y.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.Attribution: Western Ecological Research Center, Ecosystems
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Woo, I, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, G Nakai, JY Takekawa, S De La Cruz. 2017. Enhanced invertebrate prey production following estuarine restoration supports foraging for multiple species of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.). Restoration Ecology. doi: 10.1111/rec.12658
Year Published: 2018
Gauging resource exploitation by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in restoring estuarine habitat
In the context of delta restoration and its impact on salmonid rearing, success is best evaluated based on whether out-migrating juvenile salmon can access and benefit from suitable estuarine habitat. Here, we integrated 3 years of post-restoration monitoring data including habitat availability, invertebrate prey biomass, and juvenile Chinook...
Davis, Melanie; Ellings, Christopher S.; Woo, Isa; Hodgson, Sayre; Larsen, Kimberly A.; Nakai, GlynnisAttribution: Western Ecological Research Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Ecosystems, Fisheries Program
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Davis, MJ, CS Ellings, I Woo, S Hodgson, K Larsen, G Nakai. 2017. Gauging resource exploitation by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in restoring estuarine habitat. Restoration Ecology. doi: 10.1111/rec.12643
Year Published: 2016
Changes in habitat availability for outmigrating juvenile salmon (Oncorhychus spp.) following estuary restoration
The restoration of the Nisqually River Delta (Washington, U.S.A.) represents one of the largest efforts toward reestablishing the ecosystem function and resilience of modified habitat in the Puget Sound, particularly for anadromous salmonid species. The opportunity for outmigrating salmon to access and benefit from the expansion of available tidal...
Ellings, Christopher S.; Davis, Melanie; Grossman, Eric E.; Hodgson, Sayre; Turner, Kelley L.; Woo PR, Isa; Nakai, Glynnis; Takekawa, Jean E.; Takekawa, John Y.Attribution: Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Ellings, C.S., M.J. Davis, E.E. Grossman, I. Woo, S. Hodgson, K.L. Turner, G. Nakai, J.E. Takekawa, and J.Y. Takekawa. 2016. Changes in habitat availability for outmigrating juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) following estuary restoration. Restoration Ecology 24(3): 415-427.
Pre-USGS Publications
Riginos, C, M Graham, MJ Davis, A Johnson, A May, K Ryer, and L Hall. 2018. Wildlife Warning Reflectors and White Canvas Reduce Deer-Vehicle Collisions and Risky Road-Crossing Behavior. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 42:119-130. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.862
Riginos, C, MW Graham, MJ Davis, C Smith, and A Johnson. 2015. Effects of wildlife warning reflectors ("deer delineators") on wildlife-vehicle collisions in central Wyoming. Technical Publication FHWA-WY-15/03F. Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming, USA. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/29527
Davis, MJ, S Thokala, X Xing, NT Hobbs, MW Miller, R Han, and S Mishra. 2013. Testing the functionality and contact error of a GPS-based wildlife tracking network. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 37: 855-861. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.303
Davis, MJ, J Purrenhage, and MD Boone. 2012. Elucidating predator-prey interactions using aquatic microcosms: complex effects of a crayfish predator, vegetation, and atrazine on tadpole survival and behavior. Journal of Herpetology 46:527-534. https://doi.org/10.1670/10-185
Davis, MJ, S Thokala, X Xing, NT Hobbs, D Walsh, R Han, and S Mishra. 2012. Developing a data transfer model for WildSense: a wildlife tracking network. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 36:820-827. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.188
Davis, MJ, PN Kleinhenz, and MD Boone. 2011. Juvenile green frog (Rana clamitans) predatory ability not affected by exposure to carbaryl at different times during larval development. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 30:1618-1620. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.539
Date published: April 8, 2021
Wildlife Mortality from Wind Turbines Scales with Energy Production
Older wind facilities are being “repowered,” which involves replacing smaller, closely spaced turbines with larger ones, more widely spaced.