Degree:

B.A. Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder

B.A.  Environmental Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder

Research Interests:

I am currently a master’s student in the Animal Biology Graduate Group with Dr. Nann Fangue’s Fish Conservation Physiology Lab (FCPL). I am studying the intersection of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) with Western Science through salmonid reintroductions. For the past three years, I have been a part of the McCloud Project, helping the Winnemem Wintu Tribe implement the first Nur Nature Base System to rear Chinook salmon incorporating ITEK. Our collective goal is to give the salmon early exposure to riverine elements before volitionally moving through the system and into the river itself. Through video analysis, we are able to study their anti-predator behavior and movement through a low-velocity stream, observing salmon fry behavior in a natural setting.

In 2019, I was introduced to salmonid restoration through the Watershed Stewards Program (WSP), serving first in San Luis Obispo, followed by a second year in Lodi with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office. Working in the FCPLab for the past 4 years has expanded my appreciation and enthusiasm for continuing to understand California fishes, focusing in on the Bay-Delta watershed.

Lastly, I have a passion for working with the local community to explain how studies like these support the ecosystem they live in . I care deeply about communicating the science happening within a community to the people it surrounds, because that connection is essential for effective land stewardship. An opportunity I had several years ago, teaching astronomy and physics to kids at an Astrocamp, opened my eyes to my love for teaching science. While at WSP, I was able to teach elementary school classes about the life cycle of a salmon, improving the connection between kids and what lives in their backyards.

Publications:

Nedelec, Sophie L., Radford, Andrew N., Pearl, Leanne, et al., (2017) “Motorboat noise impacts parental behavior and offspring survival in a reef fish.” Proceedings of the Royal Society https://bit.ly/2H4yxa