Steve is a Fish Biologist at the Western Fisheries Research Center.
Research Interests:
My current research focusses on three aspects of Puget Sound restoration evaluation: (1) juvenile salmon and forage fish use of eelgrass and other delta tide flat and nearshore habitats, (2) response of soft-sediment intertidal benthic macroinvertebrates to Nisqually River delta dike removal and restored tidal inundation, and (3) response of shallow sub-tidal benthic microalgae, invertebrates, and fish to increased sediment delivery following removal of the Elwha River dams. Another area of research is assessing impacts of hatchery supplementation on wild salmon and steelhead.
Professional Experience
1994 to Present - Fish Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1991-1994 - Research Associate, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Moscow, ID
1986-1991 - Research Assistant, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Moscow, ID
Education and Certifications
M.S. 1990. Fisheries Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
Science and Products
USGS science supporting the Elwha River Restoration Project
The Elwha River Restoration Project has reconnected the water, salmon, and sediment of a pristine river and coast of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.
Eelgrass and substrate characteristics in Bellingham Bay, Washington, July 2019 and July-August 2020
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) characteristics, sediment grain size distributions, sediment total organic carbon contents (TOC), carbon isotope ratios of sediment organic matter, and total carbon to total nitrogen ratios were measured at four lower intertidal sites in Bellingham Bay, Washington, July 2-5, 2019, and three subtidal sites (grain-size and TOC only) on July 11, 2019.
Data collected in 2008-2022 to assess nearshore subtidal community responses to increased sediment load during and after removal of the Elwha River dams, Washington State, USA
Data are time series of substrate grain size, vertical relief, and measures of abundance (e.g., density, percent cover) of the nearshore subtidal (5-16 m depth) benthic community (vegetation, invertebrates, and fish) collected before (2008-2011), during (2012-2014), and after dam removal (2015-2022).
Data collected in 2008-2010 to evaluate juvenile salmon and forage fish use of eelgrass on the Skagit River Delta, Washington State, USA
Data are abundance and body size (length) of juvenile salmon, forage fish, and other species captured with a lampara net in eelgrass and nearby unvegetated habitat on the Skagit River Delta monthly, April-September, 2008-2010, as well as vegetation status, water depth, temperature, salinity, and clarity for each fish netting event.
Data collected in 2008-2014 to assess nearshore subtidal community response to increased sediment load during removal of the Elwha River dams, Washington State, USA
Data are time series of substrate grain size, remotely sensed water column turbidity, and measures of abundance (e.g., density, percent cover) of the nearshore subtidal (3-17 m depth) benthic community (vegetation, invertebrates, and fish) collected before (2008-2011) and during dam removal (2012-2014).
Filter Total Items: 29
Nearshore subtidal community response during and after sediment disturbance associated with dam removal
Dam removal is used increasingly to restore aquatic ecosystems and remove unnecessary or high-risk infrastructure. As the number of removals increases, there is a growing understanding about the hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological responses to these removals. Most dam removal studies, however, focus on river and watershed responses to dam removal. The removal of two dams on the Elwha River prov
Authors
Stephen P. Rubin, Melissa M. Foley, Ian M. Miller, Andrew W. Stevens, Jonathan Warrick, Helen D. Berry, Nancy E. Elder, Matthew M. Beirne, Guy Gelfenbaum
Seasonal use of a nonnatal marine basin by juvenile hatchery chinook salmon
Information on the movement patterns of fishes is essential for managers that are making critical resource decisions. We examined the frequency of a keystone species, Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha that migrated from different marine basins to the Nisqually River estuary, which lies within the southernmost marine basin (hereafter, “South basin”) in Puget Sound (Washington, USA). Hatchery‐
Authors
Michael C. Hayes, Sayre Hodgson, Christopher S. Ellings, Walker D Duval, Steve Rubin
Impacts of suspended sediment on nearshore benthic light availability following dam removal in a small mountainous river:In situ observations and statistical modeling
The 2011–2014 removal of two dams from the Elwha River, WA, delivered ~ 19 Mt of sediment to the marine environment, creating an opportunity to study the sensitivity of a coastal ecosystem to large-scale sediment input. Macroalgae, the primary habitat-forming species in the nearshore, disappeared from the region. It was hypothesized that this mortality event was caused by a reduction in benthic li
Authors
H E Glover, A S Ogston, I M Miller, E F Eidam, Steve Rubin, H D Berry
Juvenile Chinook salmon and forage fish use of eelgrass habitats in a diked and channelized Puget Sound River Delta
Eelgrass Zostera marina can form extensive meadows on Puget Sound river deltas. The extent to which these meadows provide critical rearing habitat for local estuarine fishes, especially out‐migrating juvenile salmon, is not well understood. Further, delta eelgrass has been impacted by diking and river channelization with unknown consequences for fish. We sampled fish in the Skagit River delta, Was
Authors
Stephen P. Rubin, Michael C. Hayes, Eric E. Grossman
Increased sediment load during a large-scale dam removal changes nearshore subtidal communities
The coastal marine ecosystem near the Elwha River was altered by a massive sediment influx—over 10 million tonnes—during the staged three-year removal of two hydropower dams. We used time series of bathymetry, substrate grain size, remotely sensed turbidity, scuba dive surveys, and towed video observations collected before and during dam removal to assess responses of the nearshore subtidal commun
Authors
Stephen P. Rubin, Ian M. Miller, Melissa M. Foley, Helen D. Berry, Jeffrey J. Duda, Benjamin Hudson, Nancy E. Elder, Matthew M. Beirne, Jonathan Warrick, Michael L. McHenry, Andrew W. Stevens, Emily Eidam, Andrea Ogston, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Rob Pedersen
2010-2015 Juvenile fish ecology in the Nisqually River Delta and Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve
The return of tidal inundation to over 750 acres of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR) in fall of 2009 was the crowning moment in the effort to protect and restore the Nisqually Delta. The Nisqually NWR project complemented three earlier restoration projects completed by the Nisqually Indian Tribe (Tribe) on tribal property to restore over
Authors
Sayre Hodgson, Christopher S. Ellings, Steve P. Rubin, Michael C. Hayes, Walker Duval, Eric E. Grossman
Migratory behavior of Chinook salmon microjacks reared in artificial and natural environments
Emigration was evaluated for hatchery Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) microjacks (age-1 mature males) and immature parr (age-1 juveniles, both sexes) released from both a hatchery and a natural stream (fish released as fry). In the hatchery, volitional releases (∼14 to 15 months post-fertilization) to an adjacent river occurred during October–November. The hatchery release was monitored
Authors
Michael C. Hayes, Steve P. Rubin, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Lisa A. Wetzel
Effectiveness of an integrated hatchery program: Can genetic-based performance differences between hatchery and wild Chinook salmon be avoided?
Performance of wild (W) and hatchery (H) spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) was evaluated for a sixth generation hatchery program. Management techniques to minimize genetic divergence from the wild stock included regular use of wild broodstock and volitional releases of juveniles. Performance of HH, WW, and HW (hatchery female spawned with wild male) crosses was compared in hatchery
Authors
Michael C. Hayes, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Stephen P. Rubin, Deanne C. Drake, Karl D. Stenberg, Sewall F. Young
Distribution of Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus in watersheds of Puget Sound Based on smolt monitoring data
Lamprey populations are in decline worldwide and the status of Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) is a topic of current interest. They and other lamprey species cycle nutrients and serve as prey in riverine ecosystems. To determine the current distribution of Pacific lamprey in major watersheds flowing into Puget Sound, Washington, we sampled lamprey captured during salmonid smolt monitorin
Authors
Michael C. Hayes, Richard Hays, Stephen P. Rubin, Dorothy M. Chase, Molly Hallock, Carrie Cook-Tabor, Christina W. Luzier, Mary L. Moser
Fish: Section 4.8 in Climate change and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Interpreting potential futures.
Summary
Decreased ocean survival of Chinook and coho salmon in the coastal waters of Washington, Oregon, and California is likely based on historical and present day observations during conditions of unusually high water temperatures and reduced or delayed upwelling.
Based on observations during conditions of unusually high water temperatures and reduced or delayed upwelling, highly migratory sou
Authors
Steve P. Rubin
A test for the relative strength of maternal and stock effects in spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from two different hatcheries (Study site: Warm Springs Hatchery; Stocks: Warm Springs Hatchery and Carson Hatchery; Year class: 1993)
An experiment was undertaken to determine the relative strength of maternal and stock effects in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reared in a common environment, as a companion study to our investigation of hatchery and wild Chinook salmon. Pure-strain and reciprocal crosses were made between two hatchery stocks (Carson and Warm Springs National Fish Hatcheries). The offspring were reared
Authors
Lisa A. Wetzel, Stephen P. Rubin, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Karl D. Stenberg
Testing for genetic differences in survival and growth between hatchery and wild Chinook salmon from Warm Springs River, Oregon (Study sites: Warm Springs Hatchery and Little White Salmon River; Stocks: Warm Springs hatchery and Warm Springs River wild; Y
The program at Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery in north - central Oregon was initiated with spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Warm Springs River. Managers included wild fish in the broodstock most years and avoided artificial selection to minimize genetic divergence from the wild founder population. We tested for genetic differences in survival and growth between the hatc
Authors
Stephen P. Rubin, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Lisa A. Wetzel, Leonetti
Chinook Salmon Use of Eelgrass Habitats Skagit River Delta Washington
The degree to which eelgrass on river deltas provides critical habitat for estuarine fishes, especially out‐migrating juvenile salmon, is an important scientific and management issue that bears on efforts to conserve and restore both eelgrass and fish.
Science and Products
- Science
USGS science supporting the Elwha River Restoration Project
The Elwha River Restoration Project has reconnected the water, salmon, and sediment of a pristine river and coast of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. - Data
Eelgrass and substrate characteristics in Bellingham Bay, Washington, July 2019 and July-August 2020
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) characteristics, sediment grain size distributions, sediment total organic carbon contents (TOC), carbon isotope ratios of sediment organic matter, and total carbon to total nitrogen ratios were measured at four lower intertidal sites in Bellingham Bay, Washington, July 2-5, 2019, and three subtidal sites (grain-size and TOC only) on July 11, 2019.Data collected in 2008-2022 to assess nearshore subtidal community responses to increased sediment load during and after removal of the Elwha River dams, Washington State, USA
Data are time series of substrate grain size, vertical relief, and measures of abundance (e.g., density, percent cover) of the nearshore subtidal (5-16 m depth) benthic community (vegetation, invertebrates, and fish) collected before (2008-2011), during (2012-2014), and after dam removal (2015-2022).Data collected in 2008-2010 to evaluate juvenile salmon and forage fish use of eelgrass on the Skagit River Delta, Washington State, USA
Data are abundance and body size (length) of juvenile salmon, forage fish, and other species captured with a lampara net in eelgrass and nearby unvegetated habitat on the Skagit River Delta monthly, April-September, 2008-2010, as well as vegetation status, water depth, temperature, salinity, and clarity for each fish netting event.Data collected in 2008-2014 to assess nearshore subtidal community response to increased sediment load during removal of the Elwha River dams, Washington State, USA
Data are time series of substrate grain size, remotely sensed water column turbidity, and measures of abundance (e.g., density, percent cover) of the nearshore subtidal (3-17 m depth) benthic community (vegetation, invertebrates, and fish) collected before (2008-2011) and during dam removal (2012-2014). - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 29
Nearshore subtidal community response during and after sediment disturbance associated with dam removal
Dam removal is used increasingly to restore aquatic ecosystems and remove unnecessary or high-risk infrastructure. As the number of removals increases, there is a growing understanding about the hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological responses to these removals. Most dam removal studies, however, focus on river and watershed responses to dam removal. The removal of two dams on the Elwha River provAuthorsStephen P. Rubin, Melissa M. Foley, Ian M. Miller, Andrew W. Stevens, Jonathan Warrick, Helen D. Berry, Nancy E. Elder, Matthew M. Beirne, Guy GelfenbaumSeasonal use of a nonnatal marine basin by juvenile hatchery chinook salmon
Information on the movement patterns of fishes is essential for managers that are making critical resource decisions. We examined the frequency of a keystone species, Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha that migrated from different marine basins to the Nisqually River estuary, which lies within the southernmost marine basin (hereafter, “South basin”) in Puget Sound (Washington, USA). Hatchery‐AuthorsMichael C. Hayes, Sayre Hodgson, Christopher S. Ellings, Walker D Duval, Steve RubinImpacts of suspended sediment on nearshore benthic light availability following dam removal in a small mountainous river:In situ observations and statistical modeling
The 2011–2014 removal of two dams from the Elwha River, WA, delivered ~ 19 Mt of sediment to the marine environment, creating an opportunity to study the sensitivity of a coastal ecosystem to large-scale sediment input. Macroalgae, the primary habitat-forming species in the nearshore, disappeared from the region. It was hypothesized that this mortality event was caused by a reduction in benthic liAuthorsH E Glover, A S Ogston, I M Miller, E F Eidam, Steve Rubin, H D BerryJuvenile Chinook salmon and forage fish use of eelgrass habitats in a diked and channelized Puget Sound River Delta
Eelgrass Zostera marina can form extensive meadows on Puget Sound river deltas. The extent to which these meadows provide critical rearing habitat for local estuarine fishes, especially out‐migrating juvenile salmon, is not well understood. Further, delta eelgrass has been impacted by diking and river channelization with unknown consequences for fish. We sampled fish in the Skagit River delta, WasAuthorsStephen P. Rubin, Michael C. Hayes, Eric E. GrossmanIncreased sediment load during a large-scale dam removal changes nearshore subtidal communities
The coastal marine ecosystem near the Elwha River was altered by a massive sediment influx—over 10 million tonnes—during the staged three-year removal of two hydropower dams. We used time series of bathymetry, substrate grain size, remotely sensed turbidity, scuba dive surveys, and towed video observations collected before and during dam removal to assess responses of the nearshore subtidal communAuthorsStephen P. Rubin, Ian M. Miller, Melissa M. Foley, Helen D. Berry, Jeffrey J. Duda, Benjamin Hudson, Nancy E. Elder, Matthew M. Beirne, Jonathan Warrick, Michael L. McHenry, Andrew W. Stevens, Emily Eidam, Andrea Ogston, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Rob Pedersen2010-2015 Juvenile fish ecology in the Nisqually River Delta and Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve
The return of tidal inundation to over 750 acres of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR) in fall of 2009 was the crowning moment in the effort to protect and restore the Nisqually Delta. The Nisqually NWR project complemented three earlier restoration projects completed by the Nisqually Indian Tribe (Tribe) on tribal property to restore overAuthorsSayre Hodgson, Christopher S. Ellings, Steve P. Rubin, Michael C. Hayes, Walker Duval, Eric E. GrossmanMigratory behavior of Chinook salmon microjacks reared in artificial and natural environments
Emigration was evaluated for hatchery Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) microjacks (age-1 mature males) and immature parr (age-1 juveniles, both sexes) released from both a hatchery and a natural stream (fish released as fry). In the hatchery, volitional releases (∼14 to 15 months post-fertilization) to an adjacent river occurred during October–November. The hatchery release was monitoredAuthorsMichael C. Hayes, Steve P. Rubin, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Lisa A. WetzelEffectiveness of an integrated hatchery program: Can genetic-based performance differences between hatchery and wild Chinook salmon be avoided?
Performance of wild (W) and hatchery (H) spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) was evaluated for a sixth generation hatchery program. Management techniques to minimize genetic divergence from the wild stock included regular use of wild broodstock and volitional releases of juveniles. Performance of HH, WW, and HW (hatchery female spawned with wild male) crosses was compared in hatcheryAuthorsMichael C. Hayes, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Stephen P. Rubin, Deanne C. Drake, Karl D. Stenberg, Sewall F. YoungDistribution of Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus in watersheds of Puget Sound Based on smolt monitoring data
Lamprey populations are in decline worldwide and the status of Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) is a topic of current interest. They and other lamprey species cycle nutrients and serve as prey in riverine ecosystems. To determine the current distribution of Pacific lamprey in major watersheds flowing into Puget Sound, Washington, we sampled lamprey captured during salmonid smolt monitorinAuthorsMichael C. Hayes, Richard Hays, Stephen P. Rubin, Dorothy M. Chase, Molly Hallock, Carrie Cook-Tabor, Christina W. Luzier, Mary L. MoserFish: Section 4.8 in Climate change and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Interpreting potential futures.
Summary Decreased ocean survival of Chinook and coho salmon in the coastal waters of Washington, Oregon, and California is likely based on historical and present day observations during conditions of unusually high water temperatures and reduced or delayed upwelling. Based on observations during conditions of unusually high water temperatures and reduced or delayed upwelling, highly migratory souAuthorsSteve P. RubinA test for the relative strength of maternal and stock effects in spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from two different hatcheries (Study site: Warm Springs Hatchery; Stocks: Warm Springs Hatchery and Carson Hatchery; Year class: 1993)
An experiment was undertaken to determine the relative strength of maternal and stock effects in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reared in a common environment, as a companion study to our investigation of hatchery and wild Chinook salmon. Pure-strain and reciprocal crosses were made between two hatchery stocks (Carson and Warm Springs National Fish Hatcheries). The offspring were rearedAuthorsLisa A. Wetzel, Stephen P. Rubin, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Karl D. StenbergTesting for genetic differences in survival and growth between hatchery and wild Chinook salmon from Warm Springs River, Oregon (Study sites: Warm Springs Hatchery and Little White Salmon River; Stocks: Warm Springs hatchery and Warm Springs River wild; Y
The program at Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery in north - central Oregon was initiated with spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Warm Springs River. Managers included wild fish in the broodstock most years and avoided artificial selection to minimize genetic divergence from the wild founder population. We tested for genetic differences in survival and growth between the hatcAuthorsStephen P. Rubin, Reginald R. Reisenbichler, Lisa A. Wetzel, Leonetti - Web Tools
Chinook Salmon Use of Eelgrass Habitats Skagit River Delta Washington
The degree to which eelgrass on river deltas provides critical habitat for estuarine fishes, especially out‐migrating juvenile salmon, is an important scientific and management issue that bears on efforts to conserve and restore both eelgrass and fish.
- News