Robert E Zuellig, Ph.D.
Biography
Bob Zuellig obtained his Ph.D. in Ecology at Colorado State University in 2006. He is an Ecologist at the Colorado Water Science Center stationed at the Fort Collins Science Center in northern Colorado. Since 2001, his research has focused on stream insect, fish, and diatom communities and how they respond and recover from human induced stressors. Other research interests include aquatic insect taxonomy, distribution, and biogeography as well as the ecology of plains stream fishes. Currently, Bob is the ecology trend analyst for the Surface-Water Trends Team of the National Water Quality Project of the National Water Quality Program. You can find more information about it here http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/swtrends/
Education
- Ph.D. Ecology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 2006
- M.S. Entomology, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, 2001
- B.S. Fishery Biology, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 1999
- A.S. Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology, Front Range Community College, 1996
Professional Experience
- 2006 to present: Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, Denver, Colorado
- 2004 to 2006: Ecologist Student Trainee, U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, Denver, Colorado
- 2001 to 2003: Biologist Student Trainee, U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, Denver, Colorado
- 2000 to 2001: Aquatic Biologist, Department of Public Works, Water Quality and Environmental Services, Boulder, Colorado
- 1999 to 2002: Aquatic Biologist, Department of Water Quality Services, City of Fort Collins, Colorado
- 1997 to 1999: Research Assistant, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- 1997 to 2001: Fishery Biology and Aquaculture Instructor, Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, Colorado
Affiliations
- May 2007 to present: Affiliated Faculty, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Science and Products
Aquatic Experimental Laboratory (AXL)
Aquatic invertebrates are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, and an understanding of aquatic invertebrate taxonomy is central to freshwater science. The U.S. Geological Survey Aquatic Experimental Lab (AXL) at the Fort Collins Science Center has developed the North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC) to provide users with a graphic tool to aid in...
Characterization of Water Quality and Biology in the Fountain Creek Watershed
Monument and Fountain Creeks and their respective watersheds, located in the Front Range of Colorado, serve as important drainages for surface runoff, waste-water treatment operations, and as a water supply for downstream agricultural needs. As population growth continues in these watersheds, more and more pressures are being applied to the receiving streams, especially Fountain Creek. ...
Use of multivariate associations among species for detecting changes in native plains fish community structure in Colorado
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is responsible for monitoring the status of fishes in Colorado and currently seeks to establish a rigorous, efficient monitoring program for fishes that occur in stream habitats from the mountain-plains interface east to the Colorado state line. The primary goals of this program are to:
- monitor the status of species of concern designated ...
North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC)
Aquatic invertebrates are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, and an understanding of aquatic invertebrate taxonomy is central to freshwater science. The North American Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Digital Reference Collection (NAAMDRC) was created by the USGS Aquatic Experimental Lab (AXL) to provide users with high-quality digital microscopy photographs.
Landscape drivers of dynamic change in water quality of US rivers
Water security is a top concern for social well-being and dramatic changes in the availability of freshwater have occurred as a result of human uses and landscape management. Elevated nutrient loading and perturbations to major ion composition have resulted from human activities and have degraded freshwater resources. This study addresses the...
Stets, Edward G.; Sprague, Lori A.; Oelsner, Gretchen P.; Johnson, Henry M.; Murphy, Jennifer C.; Ryberg, Karen R.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Falcone, James A.; Riskin, Melissa L. Effects of antecedent streamflow and sample timing on trend assessments of fish, invertebrate, and diatom communities
Detecting trends in biological attributes is central to many stream monitoring programs; however, understanding how natural variability in environmental factors affects trend results is not well understood. We evaluated the influence of antecedent streamflow and sample timing (covariates) on trend estimates for fish, invertebrate, and diatom taxa...
Zuellig, Robert E.; Carlisle, Daren Pulsed salmonfly emergence and its potential contribution to terrestrial detrital pools
Adult aquatic insects are a globally important subsidy in terrestrial food webs. However, our understanding of their importance is largely limited to studies that measure predation of live insects by terrestrial predators. Yet the flux of adult aquatic insects to terrestrial detrital pools may also be an important...
Wesner, Jeff; Walters, David; Zuellig, Robert E.
Comparability among four invertebrate sampling methods and two multimetric indexes, Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2010–2012
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering and Colorado Springs Utilities, analyzed previously collected invertebrate data to determine the comparability among four sampling methods and two versions (2010 and 2017) of the Colorado Benthic Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index (MMI). For this study,...
Bruce, James F.; Roberts, James J.; Zuellig, Robert E.
Changes in biological communities of the Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2003–2016, in relation to antecedent streamflow, water quality, and habitat
The analysis described in this report is part of a longterm project monitoring the biological communities, habitat, and water quality of the Fountain Creek Basin. Biology, habitat, and water-quality data have been collected at 10 sites since 2003. These data include annual samples of aquatic invertebrate communities, fish communities, water...
Roberts, James J.; Bruce, James F.; Zuellig, Robert E. Holy flux: Spatial and temporal variation in massive pulses of emerging insect biomass from western U.S. rivers
The river stonefly, Pteronarcys californica (aka salmonfly), is an iconic insect in rivers of western North America due to its large size and its support of economically important species like wild trout (Nehring et al. 2011). Their emergence generates a large economic subsidy to local communities, as anglers from around the world...
Walters, David; Wesner, Jeff S.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Kowalski, Dan A.; Kondratieff, Matt C. A rare and cryptic endemic of the Central Rocky Mountains, U.S.A: The distribution of the Arapahoe snowfly, Arsapnia arapahoe (Nelson & Kondratieff, 1988) (Plecoptera: Capniidae)
The Arapahoe snowfly, Arsapnia arapahoe (Nelson & Kondratieff, 1988) (Plecoptera: Capniidae) is a candidate species warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Prior to this study, A. arapahoe was known from only two tributaries of the Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County, Colorado: Young Gulch and Elkhorn Creek. The objectives...
Fairchild, Matthew P.; Belcher, Thomas P.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Vieira, Nicole M. K.; Kondratieff, Boris C. A digital reference collection for aquatic macroinvertebrates of North America
Aquatic invertebrates are a key component of freshwater ecosystems, and understanding aquatic invertebrate taxonomy is a cornerstone of freshwater science. Physical reference collections of expertly identified voucher specimens are the ‘gold-standard’ used to confirm specimen identifications. However, most biologists lack access to such...
Walters, David; Ford, Morgan A; Zuellig, Robert E. Ecological community datasets used to evaluate the presence of trends in ecological communities in selected rivers and streams across the United States, 1992-2012
In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a study of more than 50 major river basins across the Nation as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project of the National Water-Quality Program. One of the major goals of the NAWQA project is to determine how water-quality and ecological conditions change over time. To support...
Zuellig, Robert E.; Riskin, Melissa L.
Water-quality trends in the nation’s rivers and streams, 1972–2012—Data preparation, statistical methods, and trend results
Since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Federal, State, and local governments have invested billions of dollars to reduce pollution entering rivers and streams. To understand the return on these investments and to effectively manage and protect the Nation’s water resources in the future, we need to know how and why water quality has been...
Oelsner, Gretchen P.; Sprague, Lori A.; Murphy, Jennifer C.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Johnson, Henry M.; Ryberg, Karen R.; Falcone, James A.; Stets, Edward G.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Riskin, Melissa L.; De Cicco, Laura A.; Mills, Taylor J.; Farmer, William H.
Macroinvertebrate community sample collection methods and data collected from Sand Creek and Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, 2005–07
This report provides a table of site descriptions, sample information, and semiquantitative aquatic macroinvertebrate data from 105 samples collected between 2005 and 2007 from 7 stream sites within the Sand Creek and Medano Creek watersheds in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Saguache County, Colorado. Additionally, a short...
Ford, Morgan A.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Walters, David M.; Bruce, James F. Metamorphosis alters contaminants and chemical tracers in insects: implications for food webs
Insects are integral to most freshwater and terrestrial food webs, but due to their accumulation of environmental pollutants they are also contaminant vectors that threaten reproduction, development, and survival of consumers. Metamorphosis from larvae to adult can cause large chemical changes in insects, altering contaminant concentrations and...
Kraus, Johanna M.; Walters, David M.; Wesner, Jeff S.; Stricker, Craig A.; Schmidt, Travis S.; Zuellig, Robert E.