Shannon Waters is an ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.
EDUCATION
M.S., Conservation Biology, California State University, Sacramento 2013
B.S., Environmental Biology and Management, University of California, Davis 2006
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Marine Ecology
- Gene Transcription
- Wildlife Immunology
Science and Products
Assessing heat stress in migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
We will examine evidence of heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) using heat shock proteins and gene expression.
Ecological and Disease Data for Induced Immune Responses and Antibody Levels for Mycoplasma spp. in Captive and Wild Mojave Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)
This product consists of multiple tabular datasets and associated metadata for clinical status, gene transcripts, and lab results related to presence of Mycoplasma spp. in desert reptiles. To better understand immune responses to pathogenic infections, we conducted an experiment to quantify innate and induced immune responses using gene transcript profiles and measured induced antibody levels for
Gene Transcription and Heat Shock Protein 70 Abundance Results from Migrating Adult Chinook Salmon, Yukon Watershed, 2016-2017
This data set documents the gene transcription levels for a panel of 12 selected genes and the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) protein abundance measured in the muscle tissue of individual wild Chinook salmon captured from locations within the U.S. portion of the Yukon River watershed. Chinook salmon were primarily captured in 2016 and 2017 from existing field efforts (n = 477). A small number of ad
Data for Gene Transcription Patterns in Response to Low Level Petroleum Contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from Field Sites and Harbors in Southcentral Alaska
Marine mussels are a ubiquitous and crucial component of the nearshore environment, and new genomic technologies exist to quantify molecular responses of individual mussels to stimuli, including exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We used gene-based assays of exposure and physiological function to assess lingering oil damage from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill using the Pacific b
Filter Total Items: 21
Gene expression and wildlife health: Varied interpretations based on perspective
We evaluated wildlife population health from the perspective of statistical means vs. variances. We outlined the choices necessary to provide the framework for our study. These consisted of spatial and temporal boundaries (e.g., choice of sentinel species, populations, time frame), measurement techniques (molecular to population level), and appropriate statistical analyses. We chose to assess the
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Julie L. Yee, James L. Bodkin, Shannon C. Waters, Michael J. Murray, Heather Coletti, Brenda E. Ballachey, Daniel Monson, A. Keith Miles
The mysterious case of the missing razor clams
Oceans are changing and these changes are affecting animals that live there. Animals respond differently to changes in water temperature, food availability, or contaminants. Those responses can be seen in their genes. Gene transcription is a tool that allows scientists to see the response of an animal’s genes to its environment. We used gene transcription to compare two populations of Pacific razo
Authors
Heather Coletti, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda Ballachey, Tammy L Wilson, Shannon C. Waters, Michael Booz, Katrina Counihan, Tuula E. Hollmen, Benjamin Pister
Divergent gene expression profiles in Alaskan sea otters: An indicator of chronic domoic acid exposure?
An opportunistic investigation into ecosystem instability in Kachemak Bay (KBay), Alaska, has led us to investigate exposure to toxic algae in sea otters. We used gene expression to explore the physiological health of sea otters sampled in KBay in May 2019. We found altered levels of gene transcripts in comparison with reference sea otters from clinically normal, oil-exposed, and nutritionally cha
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Susan Knowles, Kathi Lefebvre, Michelle St Martin, Michael Murray, Kimberly A. Kloecker, Daniel Monson, Ben Weitzman, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, Shannon C. Waters, C Cummings
Using transcriptomics to predict and visualize disease status in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Increasing risk of pathogen spillover coupled with overall declines in wildlife population abundance in the Anthropocene make infectious disease a relevant concern for species conservation worldwide. While emerging molecular tools could improve our diagnostic capabilities and give insight into mechanisms underlying wildlife disease risk, they have rarely been applied in practice. Here, employing a
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Kezia R. Manlove, Annette Roug, Shannon C. Waters, Nate LaHue, Peregrine Wolff
Baseline gene expression levels in Falkland-Malvinas Island penguins: Towards a new monitoring paradigm
Health diagnostics of wildlife have historically relied on the evaluation of select serum biomarkers and the identification of a contaminant or pathogen burden within specific tissues as an indicator of a level of insult. However, these approaches fail to measure the physiological reaction of the individual to stressors, thus limiting the scope of interpretation. Gene-based health diagnostics prov
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon C. Waters, Jeffrey L Stott, Ann Duncan, Randi Meyerson, Sarah Woodhouse
Gene expression profiles in two razor clam populations: Discerning drivers of population status
With rapidly changing marine ecosystems, shifts in abundance and distribution are being documented for a variety of intertidal species. We examined two adjacent populations of Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. One population (east) supported a sport and personal use fishery, but this has been closed since 2015 due to declines in abundance, and the second population
Authors
Heather A. Coletti, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda Ballachey, Tammy L Wilson, Shannon C. Waters, Michael Booz, Katrina L Counihan, Tuula E. Hollmen, Benjamin Pister
A manipulative thermal challenge protocol for adult salmonids in remote field settings
Manipulative experiments provide stronger evidence for identifying cause-and-effect relationships than correlative studies, but protocols for implementing temperature manipulations are lacking for large species in remote settings. We developed an experimental protocol for holding adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and exposing them to elevated temperature treatments. The goal of the e
Authors
Daniel S. Donnelly, Vanessa R. von Biela, Stephen D. McCormick, Sarah M. Laske, Michael P. Carey, Shannon C. Waters, Lizabeth Bowen, Randy J Brown, Sean Larson, Christian E. Zimmerman
Transcriptomic response to elevated water temperatures in adult migrating Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) declines are widespread and may be attributed, at least in part, to warming river temperatures. Water temperatures in the Yukon River and tributaries often exceed 18°C, a threshold commonly associated with heat stress and elevated mortality in Pacific salmon. Untangling the complex web of direct and indirect physiological effects of heat stress on salmon i
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Vanessa R. von Biela, Stephen D. McCormick, Amy M. Regish, Shannon C. Waters, Blythe Durbin-Johnson, Monica Britton, Matt Settles, Daniel S. Donnelly, Sarah M. Laske, Michael P. Carey, Randy J Brown, Christian E. Zimmerman
Evidence of prevalent heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon
Migrating adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are sensitive to warm water (>18 °C), with a range of consequences from decreased spawning success to early mortality. We examined the proportion of Yukon River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) exhibiting evidence of heat stress to assess the potential that high temperatures contribute to freshwater adult mortality in a northern Pacific salmon popu
Authors
Vanessa R. von Biela, Lizabeth Bowen, Stephen D. McCormick, Michael P. Carey, Daniel S. Donnelly, Shannon C. Waters, Amy M. Regish, Sarah M. Laske, Randy J Brown, Sean Larson, Stan Zuray, Christian E. Zimmerman
Gene transcript profiling in desert bighorn sheep
Respiratory disease is a key factor affecting the conservation and recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis ) populations. Innovative, minimally invasive tools such as gene transcription–based diagnostics have the potential to improve our understanding of the broad range of factors that can affect the health of wild sheep. Evaluation of transcript levels for genes representative of multiple inte
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Kathleen Longshore, Peregrine Wolff, Robert C. Klinger, Mike Cox, Sarah Bullock, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith Miles
Complex immune responses and molecular reactions to pathogens and disease in a desert reptile (Gopherus agassizii)
Immune function plays an important role in an animal's defense against infectious disease. In reptiles, immune responses may be complex and counterintuitive, and diagnostic tools used to identify infection, such as induced antibody responses are limited. Recent studies using gene transcription profiling in tortoises have proven useful in identifying immune responses to various intrinsic and extrin
Authors
K. Kristina Drake, Christina M. Aiello, Lizabeth Bowen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Shannon C. Waters, Peter J. Hudson
Development and utility of a gene transcription panel for desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)
Respiratory disease is a key factor impacting the success of the ongoing conservation and recovery of wild sheep populations (WAFWA 2017). Although the primary pathogens involved in the bighorn sheep pneumonia complex have been identified, the wide variability in herd response following infection is not well understood (Cassirer et al. 2018). The response of populations infected with Mycoplasma o
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Kathleen Longshore, Peregrine Wolff, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith Miles, Mike Cox, Sarah Bullock
Science and Products
- Science
Assessing heat stress in migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
We will examine evidence of heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) using heat shock proteins and gene expression. - Data
Ecological and Disease Data for Induced Immune Responses and Antibody Levels for Mycoplasma spp. in Captive and Wild Mojave Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)
This product consists of multiple tabular datasets and associated metadata for clinical status, gene transcripts, and lab results related to presence of Mycoplasma spp. in desert reptiles. To better understand immune responses to pathogenic infections, we conducted an experiment to quantify innate and induced immune responses using gene transcript profiles and measured induced antibody levels forGene Transcription and Heat Shock Protein 70 Abundance Results from Migrating Adult Chinook Salmon, Yukon Watershed, 2016-2017
This data set documents the gene transcription levels for a panel of 12 selected genes and the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) protein abundance measured in the muscle tissue of individual wild Chinook salmon captured from locations within the U.S. portion of the Yukon River watershed. Chinook salmon were primarily captured in 2016 and 2017 from existing field efforts (n = 477). A small number of adData for Gene Transcription Patterns in Response to Low Level Petroleum Contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from Field Sites and Harbors in Southcentral Alaska
Marine mussels are a ubiquitous and crucial component of the nearshore environment, and new genomic technologies exist to quantify molecular responses of individual mussels to stimuli, including exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We used gene-based assays of exposure and physiological function to assess lingering oil damage from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill using the Pacific b - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 21
Gene expression and wildlife health: Varied interpretations based on perspective
We evaluated wildlife population health from the perspective of statistical means vs. variances. We outlined the choices necessary to provide the framework for our study. These consisted of spatial and temporal boundaries (e.g., choice of sentinel species, populations, time frame), measurement techniques (molecular to population level), and appropriate statistical analyses. We chose to assess theAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Julie L. Yee, James L. Bodkin, Shannon C. Waters, Michael J. Murray, Heather Coletti, Brenda E. Ballachey, Daniel Monson, A. Keith MilesThe mysterious case of the missing razor clams
Oceans are changing and these changes are affecting animals that live there. Animals respond differently to changes in water temperature, food availability, or contaminants. Those responses can be seen in their genes. Gene transcription is a tool that allows scientists to see the response of an animal’s genes to its environment. We used gene transcription to compare two populations of Pacific razoAuthorsHeather Coletti, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda Ballachey, Tammy L Wilson, Shannon C. Waters, Michael Booz, Katrina Counihan, Tuula E. Hollmen, Benjamin PisterDivergent gene expression profiles in Alaskan sea otters: An indicator of chronic domoic acid exposure?
An opportunistic investigation into ecosystem instability in Kachemak Bay (KBay), Alaska, has led us to investigate exposure to toxic algae in sea otters. We used gene expression to explore the physiological health of sea otters sampled in KBay in May 2019. We found altered levels of gene transcripts in comparison with reference sea otters from clinically normal, oil-exposed, and nutritionally chaAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Susan Knowles, Kathi Lefebvre, Michelle St Martin, Michael Murray, Kimberly A. Kloecker, Daniel Monson, Ben Weitzman, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, Shannon C. Waters, C CummingsUsing transcriptomics to predict and visualize disease status in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Increasing risk of pathogen spillover coupled with overall declines in wildlife population abundance in the Anthropocene make infectious disease a relevant concern for species conservation worldwide. While emerging molecular tools could improve our diagnostic capabilities and give insight into mechanisms underlying wildlife disease risk, they have rarely been applied in practice. Here, employing aAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Kezia R. Manlove, Annette Roug, Shannon C. Waters, Nate LaHue, Peregrine WolffBaseline gene expression levels in Falkland-Malvinas Island penguins: Towards a new monitoring paradigm
Health diagnostics of wildlife have historically relied on the evaluation of select serum biomarkers and the identification of a contaminant or pathogen burden within specific tissues as an indicator of a level of insult. However, these approaches fail to measure the physiological reaction of the individual to stressors, thus limiting the scope of interpretation. Gene-based health diagnostics provAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Shannon C. Waters, Jeffrey L Stott, Ann Duncan, Randi Meyerson, Sarah WoodhouseGene expression profiles in two razor clam populations: Discerning drivers of population status
With rapidly changing marine ecosystems, shifts in abundance and distribution are being documented for a variety of intertidal species. We examined two adjacent populations of Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. One population (east) supported a sport and personal use fishery, but this has been closed since 2015 due to declines in abundance, and the second populationAuthorsHeather A. Coletti, Lizabeth Bowen, Brenda Ballachey, Tammy L Wilson, Shannon C. Waters, Michael Booz, Katrina L Counihan, Tuula E. Hollmen, Benjamin PisterA manipulative thermal challenge protocol for adult salmonids in remote field settings
Manipulative experiments provide stronger evidence for identifying cause-and-effect relationships than correlative studies, but protocols for implementing temperature manipulations are lacking for large species in remote settings. We developed an experimental protocol for holding adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and exposing them to elevated temperature treatments. The goal of the eAuthorsDaniel S. Donnelly, Vanessa R. von Biela, Stephen D. McCormick, Sarah M. Laske, Michael P. Carey, Shannon C. Waters, Lizabeth Bowen, Randy J Brown, Sean Larson, Christian E. ZimmermanTranscriptomic response to elevated water temperatures in adult migrating Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) declines are widespread and may be attributed, at least in part, to warming river temperatures. Water temperatures in the Yukon River and tributaries often exceed 18°C, a threshold commonly associated with heat stress and elevated mortality in Pacific salmon. Untangling the complex web of direct and indirect physiological effects of heat stress on salmon iAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Vanessa R. von Biela, Stephen D. McCormick, Amy M. Regish, Shannon C. Waters, Blythe Durbin-Johnson, Monica Britton, Matt Settles, Daniel S. Donnelly, Sarah M. Laske, Michael P. Carey, Randy J Brown, Christian E. ZimmermanEvidence of prevalent heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon
Migrating adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are sensitive to warm water (>18 °C), with a range of consequences from decreased spawning success to early mortality. We examined the proportion of Yukon River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) exhibiting evidence of heat stress to assess the potential that high temperatures contribute to freshwater adult mortality in a northern Pacific salmon popuAuthorsVanessa R. von Biela, Lizabeth Bowen, Stephen D. McCormick, Michael P. Carey, Daniel S. Donnelly, Shannon C. Waters, Amy M. Regish, Sarah M. Laske, Randy J Brown, Sean Larson, Stan Zuray, Christian E. ZimmermanGene transcript profiling in desert bighorn sheep
Respiratory disease is a key factor affecting the conservation and recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis ) populations. Innovative, minimally invasive tools such as gene transcription–based diagnostics have the potential to improve our understanding of the broad range of factors that can affect the health of wild sheep. Evaluation of transcript levels for genes representative of multiple inteAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Kathleen Longshore, Peregrine Wolff, Robert C. Klinger, Mike Cox, Sarah Bullock, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith MilesComplex immune responses and molecular reactions to pathogens and disease in a desert reptile (Gopherus agassizii)
Immune function plays an important role in an animal's defense against infectious disease. In reptiles, immune responses may be complex and counterintuitive, and diagnostic tools used to identify infection, such as induced antibody responses are limited. Recent studies using gene transcription profiling in tortoises have proven useful in identifying immune responses to various intrinsic and extrinAuthorsK. Kristina Drake, Christina M. Aiello, Lizabeth Bowen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Shannon C. Waters, Peter J. HudsonDevelopment and utility of a gene transcription panel for desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)
Respiratory disease is a key factor impacting the success of the ongoing conservation and recovery of wild sheep populations (WAFWA 2017). Although the primary pathogens involved in the bighorn sheep pneumonia complex have been identified, the wide variability in herd response following infection is not well understood (Cassirer et al. 2018). The response of populations infected with Mycoplasma oAuthorsLizabeth Bowen, Kathleen Longshore, Peregrine Wolff, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith Miles, Mike Cox, Sarah Bullock