Achievements

Andre Buchheister, Nick Som, Marisa McGrew

Fisheries Biology

Dr. Andre Buchheister, Dr. Nick Som, and new graduate student Marisa McGrew have received funding to study Pacific lamprey in the Eel River ahead of planned dam removals. Although often overlooked, Pacific lamprey are an ecologically and culturally important species that play a vital role in river ecosystems and Tribal foodways. The project will examine lamprey migration, habitat use, and seasonal movement to better understand the species before dam removal begins. Findings will help inform restoration planning, improve conservation efforts, and support future management of the Eel River ecosystem.

Funding comes from CalTrout.

Dr. Oscar M. Vargas, Eli Allen

Biological Sciences

Oscar Vargas, Associate Professor of Botany in the Biological Sciences Department, along with M.Sc. graduate Eli Allen (currently a PhD student at UC-Santa Cruz), published an article documenting a case of budding speciation in the California Floristic Province. This mode of speciation, thought to be rare in nature, is being found in plants, especially regions with high biodiversity. The article "A case of budding speciation in the California Floristic Province and infraspecific divergence in Abronia villosa" is available at the following link https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70234

Rosemary Sherriff, Lucy Kerhoulas, Michael Kauffmann

Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management

The Klamath Mountains host a famous amount of botanical diversity, yet many plant communities remain poorly documented. Working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Native Plant Society, Cal Poly Humboldt researchers completed more than 2,100 vegetation surveys across three field seasons. The project documented rare plants, identified potential range extensions, added over 1,000 specimens to regional plant collections, and will ultimately produce seven Master’s theses. These findings will strengthen conservation planning, support land management decisions, and provide a lasting public resource for understanding the Klamath Mountains’ remarkable botanical diversity. Read theses here.

Jose Marin Jarrin, Michelle Schuiteman

Fisheries Biology

Dr. Jose Marin Jarrin and Michelle Schuiteman have received funding to study the status and vulnerability of four culturally important coastal fish species in Northern California. Working in partnership with Trinidad Rancheria, Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People, Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and Blue Lake Rancheria, the project will help address critical data gaps for fisheries that lack formal assessment. The research will support tribal stewardship of marine resources while providing professional development opportunities for tribal staff, students, and researchers. Findings will help inform long-term fisheries management and climate resilience.

Funding comes from California Sea Grant.

Allison Bronson

Biological Sciences

Cal Poly Humboldt Biological Sciences Professor Allison Bronson was awarded the American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists “Best Paper by a Young Scholar in Ichthyology” award for her work titled “Novel Nasal Anatomy Suggests Enhanced Olfactory Acuity in Auchenoglanidid Catfishes (Siluriformes: Auchenoglanididae)." The annual prize honors the best publications from the society’s peer-reviewed journal Ichthyology & Herpetology. Bronson received the award at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) held in New Orleans this July. Ten students from the Bronson lab on campus also presented their research at the meeting. 

Jennifer Marlow

Environmental Science & Management

Jennifer Marlow (J.D.) has received funding to develop a standardized sampling framework for tire-derived pollution that poses a risk to coho salmon in Humboldt Bay and surrounding watersheds. Working with regional partners, the project will establish consistent methods for collecting and analyzing data on 6PPD-q, a toxic chemical from tires that has been linked to mass mortality in coho salmon. The framework will strengthen regional monitoring efforts while supporting the protection of cultural resources and Tribal foodways.

Funding comes from the Rose Foundation.

Barbara Clucas, Janelle Chojnacki, Alon Averbuj

Wildlife

Protecting California’s threatened western snowy plover starts with understanding one of its primary predators: the common raven. Cal Poly Humboldt researchers tracked ravens along the Humboldt coast using GPS technology and behavioral surveys to identify where they forage and how human resources influence their movements. Ravens were attracted to developed areas and locations with accessible food resources, including agricultural lands and roads. The project also produced public outreach materials to raise awareness of how human actions affect wildlife and how to support future conservation. Learn more about graduate student Janelle Chojnacki’s thesis here and Alon Averbuj’s thesis here.

Matt Johnson

Wildlife

Dr. Matt Johnson has received funding to support long-term bird monitoring, undergraduate training opportunities, and the launch of the Humboldt Ornithology Collective (HOC), a partnership involving Cal Poly Humboldt, the Humboldt Area Foundation, the Integral Ecology Research Center, and the Klamath Bird Observatory. The project will sustain bird banding operations at the Wright Refuge in Eureka while expanding hands-on ornithology training for undergraduate students with little or no prior research experience. The effort also supports revival of the Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory near Lanphere Dunes.

Funding comes from the Humboldt Area Foundation.

Cort Glosli, Andre Giraldi, Silvia Pavan, Pedro Peloso, Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy

Biological Sciences

Wildlife undergraduate students Cort Glosli and Andre Giraldi, together with Biological Sciences faculty Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy, Silvia Pavan, and Pedro Peloso, recently published a research article in the journal Herpetology Notes documenting the rediscovery and species identification of a previously unassigned population of Black Salamanders (Aneides). The population they report, from Glenn County, California, had not been documented since the early 1970s and occurs in a region that has long represented a major gap in our understanding of the distribution of the Black Salamander complex. Using a combination of field surveys, morphology, and genetic analyses, the team identified the population as the Speckled Black Salamander (Aneides flavipunctatus), extending the known range of the species and helping clarify the biogeography of this complex group of California salamanders. The study highlights the important contributions of Humboldt students and faculty to biodiversity discovery, systematics, and conservation research in California.

The paper is available from the publisher’s website: https://herpetologynotes.org/index.php/hn/article/view/382/186

Darren Ward, Allison Bronson, and Matthew Hurst

Fisheries Biology

Drs. Darren Ward, Allison Bronson, and Matthew Hurst have received funding to study how copper from fungicides used in lily bulb farming near the Smith River may run off into waterways and affect salmon and other aquatic species. The project will examine whether dissolved copper affects salmon sensory function, behavior, and tissue health through water quality monitoring, laboratory toxicity testing, and fish behavior studies. Findings will help improve tools used to predict pollution impacts and support the protection of salmon habitat in one of California’s most ecologically important salmon habitats.

Funding comes from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.