Degree:

B.S. Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology with University of California, Davis, 2017

Research Interests:

Growing up fishing at a young age, I understand the thrill of catching a range of species like rockfish, trout, panfish and bass. Obtaining my Bachelor’s degree from UC Davis in Wildlife Fish & Conservation Biology opened my eyes to the dangers nonnative species may pose on native California fishes. I am broadly interested in the ecology of game species including Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and striped bass. Specifically, I have developed a special interest in the ecology and fish movement of native species, and how invasive species are affecting the behavior and survival of native fishes.

Through my scientific career, I have helped conduct louver entrainment experiments, critical thermal maxima experiments, growth experiments and much more to understand what physiological traits may be limiting the population growth of imperiled species including green sturgeon, Delta smelt and Chinook salmon. Currently, I am a Masters student co-advised by Dr. Nann Fangue and Dr. Andrew Rypel studying predation rates in flooded Delta islands and the survival and movement of juvenile spring-run Chinook Salmon through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Publications:

Steel, A.E., T. Nguyen, D.E. Cocherell, K.J. Carr, H.N. Bell, A.E. Agosta, M.L. Kavvas, N.A. Fangue. 2022. Experimental evaluation of louver guidance efficiency for green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris). River Research and Applications, in press.

Coauthor on a working publication “Design and laboratory testing of enclosures to support conservation of a critically endangered estuarine fish”

Delta Stewardship Council Annual report 2020 “Science for adaptive management of juvenile spring-run Chinook salmon in the San Joaquin River”

Lead author for a working Delta Stewardship Council Annual report 2021