Sarah Baird
Staff Research Associate | Co-Lab Manager
Degree:
M.S. Ecology, UC Davis, 2019 | Thesis Title: “Experimental assessment of predation risk for juvenile green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, by two predatory fishes”
B.S. Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, UC Davis, 2014
Research Interests:
I am currently the manager of the Green Sturgeon Broodstock Program, responsible for the care and spawning of adult green sturgeon and the hatching and rearing of for research. My interests largely focus around reproduction of adults, as well as the swimming performances of all life stages of green and white sturgeon. I hope my research will be able to contribute to the conservation of sturgeon by informing conditions crucial to the successful spawning of wild sturgeon, as well as the inclusion of sturgeon into the design of fish passage facilities currently impeding their migration.
My master’s thesis investigated the predation risk of larval green and white sturgeon by nonnative predators (Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, and Channel Catfish) common to the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed.
Publications:
Kwan, G.T., F. Mauduit, K.W. Zillig, Y.R. Yanagitsuru, S.E. Baird, D.E. Cocherell, and N.A. Fangue. Developing Respirometry Methodology for the critically endangered Delta Smelt. Endangered Species Research, https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01477.
Steel, A.E., S.E. Baird, D.E. Cocherell, T.M. Young, R.E. Connon, N.A. Fangue. 2025. Aqueous exposure to a pyrethroid pesticide results in behavioural effects in early life stage sturgeon. Conservation Physiology, https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaf055.
Hannan, K.D., A.E. Steel, M.R. DeBarros, D.E. Cocherell, S.E. Baird, N.A. Fangue. 2024. Endurance swimming performance and physiology of juvenile Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) at different temperatures. Conservation Physiology, accepted.
Zillig, K.W., K.D. Hannan, S.E. Baird, D.E. Cocherell, J.B. Poletto, N.A. Fangue. 2024. Effects of acclimation temperature and feed restriction on the metabolic performance of Green Sturgeon. Conservation Physiology, in press.
Steel, A.E., S.E. Baird, D.E. Cocherell, T.M. Young, R.E. Connon, N.A. Fangue. 2025. Aqueous exposure to a pyrethroid pesticide results in behavioural effects in early life stage sturgeon. Conservation Physiology, https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaf055.
Baird, S.E., A.E. Steel, D.E. Cocherell, J.B. Poletto, R. Follenfant and N.A. Fangue.2019. Experimental assessment of predation risk for juvenile green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, by two predatory fishes. J. Applied Ichthyology https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13990
Baird, S.E., Cocherell, D.E., Cech, J.J. Jr., and Fangue, N.A. 2018. Native Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and non-native Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis Prefer Similar Water Temperatures. J. Fish Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13810
Poletto, J.B., B. Martin, E. Danner, S.E. Baird, D.E. Cocherell, N.Hamda, J.J. Cech Jr. and N.A. Fangue. 2016. Assessment of multiple stressors on the growth of larval green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris): Implications for recruitment and management of early life history stages. J. Fish Biology.
Poletto, J.B., D.E. Cocherell, S.E. Baird, T.X. Nguyen, V. Cabrera-Stagno, A.P. Farrell, and N.A. Fangue. 2015. Unusual aerobic performance at high temperatures in juvenile Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Conservation Physiology.
Verhille, C.E., Poletto,J.B., Cocherell, D.E., DeCourten, B., Baird, S., Cech, J.J. Jr., and Fangue, N.A. (2014). Larval green and white sturgeon swimming performance in relation to water diversion flows. Conservation Physiology 2, doi:10.1093/conphys/cou031.