Breadcrumb
Research
Our research and monitoring covers a 120-mile (193.1 km) stretch of the far Northern California coast and includes investigations into 10+ Tribally-selected priority species and a comprehensive study of local fish communities using eDNA. Research across the study area is carried out by four Tribal partners (the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People (formerly Resighini Rancheria), Trinidad Rancheria, and Blue Lake Rancheria) and by Cal Poly Humboldt.
Graduate Research
Five graduate projects supplement the research by investigating specific questions affecting priority species.
Chinook Salmon
Surf Smelt
A-frame monitoring of surf smelt began in May 2024 at four sites from Centerville Beach to Gold Bluffs Beach with the goal of investigating biological parameters of the population and identifying factors that may affect timing of spawning, with an in-depth look at wave height changes over the past quarter-century.
eDNA Investigation of Marine and Estuarine Fish Communities
Sample collection began in April 2024 at 13 sites (5 marine-estuarine pairs and 2 additional sites) covering 168 km of coastline and will be analyzed using high-throughput DNA sequencing technology, the miFish primer, and a customized reference database.