Category: Senior Biologists

Senior Ecologist

B.S. Aquatic Biology; Ph.D. Marine Ecology

Phone: (888) 224-1221

 

West Sacramento, California

Avery is an aquatic ecologist with 10 years of experience working in diverse ecosystems, from streams in eastern Kentucky and Hawaii to oyster and coral reefs in south Texas and the Caribbean. Her research interests include predator prey relationships, trophic cascades, and the influence of species interactions on ecosystem structure and function. She is also interested in science communication and outreach; she has experience in informal science education programs as well as with science writing and social media. As an ecologist at CFS, Avery helps to design and conduct research on the role of stream ecology in the efficacy of river restoration for salmon and steelhead.

Back to list of staff

Elene Trujillo is a senior fisheries biologist with more than two decades of scientific research and biostatistical expertise in both marine and freshwater systems. Her diverse work spans aquatic disease and ecology, resource management, restoration effectiveness, and scientific communication. Elene specializes in developing regional metrics that guide effectiveness evaluations, providing evidence to support decision-making and policy development. With her strong background in project management, biostatistics, and communications from organizations including the Puget Sound Partnership, NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Elene excels at connecting people, data, and innovative ideas to address complex resource management challenges. Her published research includes work on cumulative effects of nearshore habitat conservation and climate change impacts on salmon migration.

Selected Publications 

 

Diefenderfer H.L., G.D. Steyer, M.C. Harwell, A.J. LoSchiavo, H.A. Neckles, D.M. Burdick, G.E. Johnson, K.E. Buenau, E. Trujillo, J.C. Callaway, N.K. Ganju, R.M. Thom, and R.R. Twilley. 2020. Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large-scale ecosystem restoration. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 19:108-117. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2274

 

Crozier L.G., J.E. Siegel, L.E. Wiesebron, E.M. Trujillo, B.J. Burke, B.P. Sandford, and D.L. Widener. 2020. Snake River sockeye and Chinook salmon in a changing climate: Implications for upstream migration survival during recent extreme and future climates. PLoS ONE 15(9):e0238886. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238886

Senior Biologist

B.S. Aquatic & Fishery Science, minor in Quantitative Science; M.S. Environmental Science

Phone: (503) 850-9051

 

Portland, Oregon

Kristin has over 9 years of experience conducting, analyzing and reporting the results of biological field and laboratory studies in the Pacific Northwest. She has led and supported fisheries trophic ecology and monitoring studies in freshwater and marine environments using a variety of field methods, including gill nets, seines, traps, mid-water trawls, fish marking, electrofishing and hydroacoustic. In addition, she has experience sampling and identifying macroinvertebrates and zooplankton, and has conducted limnological sampling and habitat assessments. Kristin is skilled at gut contents analysis, stable isotope analysis, fish age/growth estimation using aging structures, and boat operation. She has experience analyzing and reporting the results of fisheries food-web and monitoring studies, including bioenergetics modeling and multivariate community analyses. Kristin’s duties include developing field protocols, leading field crews, analyzing biological and spatial data, and report writing.

Senior Restoration Biologist

B.S. Aquatic Biology; M.S. Natural Resources

Phone: (916) 250-1922

 

West Sacramento, California

Philip is a biologist with over a decade of experience in fisheries research and monitoring throughout California. He leads field work for a variety of projects including restoration effectiveness monitoring and applied research. He has extensive experience performing downstream migrant trapping, carcass and redd surveys, habitat mapping, snorkel surveys, electrofishing, seining, fish tagging including PIT, elastomer, and CWT, benthic macroinvertebrate collection and identification, and physical data collection. He performs data analysis and visualization, writes reports, and assists with manuscript preparation. Additionally, Philip performs the extensive environmental permitting and reporting required for implementing research and restoration projects in California.

Selected Publications

 

Selheim, K. L., R. A. Brown, J. T. Anderson, M. Vaghti, J. C. Wiesenfeld, P. A. Colombano, J. K. Sweeney, and J. E. Merz. 2019. Merced River Ranch and Henderson Park restoration projects on the Merced River, California. Final report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences. 2018. Middle Piru Creek rainbow trout sampling in support of Santa Felicia Dam fish passage: biological assessment. Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the United Water Conservation District.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences. 2018. Merced Irrigation District’s Merced River instream and off-channel habitat rehabilitation project: biological and essential fish habitat assessment. Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences. 2017. Stanislaus river channel and floodplain rehabilitation project at Rodden road biological assessment. Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences and cbec eco-engineering. 2017. Hallwood side channel and floodplain restoration project environmental assessment/initial study. Report to the Yuba County on behalf of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences. 2016. Stanislaus River salmonid habitat restoration project at Buttonbush: biological and essential fish habitat assessment. Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service on behalf of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

Colombano, P. A. 2012. Response of coastal stream habitat and juvenile steelhead to the Honeydew Fire in Humboldt County, California. Master’s Thesis, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California.

Back to list of staff

Senior Biologist
B.A. Ecology; M.S. Marine Resource Management

Phone: (503) 850-9610

 

Portland, Oregon 

Ryan is an exceptional fisheries biologist with over a decade of experience conducting and leading a variety of sampling and monitoring projects. Ryan has extensive field experience that includes deployment and operation of biotelemetry equipment, collection of juvenile outmigrant data (rotary screw and incline plane traps, PIT tagging, snorkeling), water quality sampling, boat operations, and assessment of aquatic and riparian habitats. Prior to joining Cramer Fish Sciences, Ryan worked on studies evaluating survival rates of juvenile salmonid passage through hydroelectric projects and estimating the exposure of ESA-listed salmonids to harmful levels of total dissolved gas. As a graduate student, Ryan researched how genetics-based tools can be used to identify catch distributions for Chinook salmon at refined space-time scales that are beyond the capacity of traditionally reported coded-wire tag data. Ryan is well versed in managing and analyzing complex data sets in R and GIS, developing web-based applications to host and visualize data, and preparing and editing technical reports and publications.  

Selected Publications

 

Arntzen, E. V., R. J. Flaherty, A. H. Colotelo, R. D. Harnish, J. Vavrinec, S. A. Zimmerman, J. D. Tagestad, and K. Stertz. 2018. Assessment of the effects of total dissolved gas exposure of upper Willamette River Chinook salmon and steelhead below Foster Dam. PNNL-27325. Final report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, Portland, Oregon, by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington.

 

Liss, S. A., J. S. Hughes, E. F. Fischer, R. J. Flaherty, and J. P. Duncan. 2017. Willamette Valley high head bypass downstream passage prototype evaluation: radio telemetry evaluation of the connecting and bypass pipes at Green Peter Dam, 2016. PNNL-26198. Final report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, Portland, Oregon, by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington.

 

Hughes, J. S., S. A. Liss, R. J. Flaherty, E. S. Fischer, B. J. Bellgraph, C. V. Vernon, and G. E. Johnson. 2017. Evaluation of juvenile salmonid passage and behavior at Foster Dam using radio telemetry, 2016. PNNL-26416. Final report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon, Portland, Oregon, by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington.

 

Flaherty, R. J. 2015. Tags versus genetics: identifying which tool provides the best information about Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) distributions in the California Current. M.S. Thesis, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

Back to list of staff

Senior Forester
B.S. Forest Resources

Phone: (888) 224-1221

 

Portland, Oregon 

Travis Anderberg is a senior forester with 20 years of experience in natural resource management and forest improvement projects. His expertise lies in maximizing the financial and ecological value of forestlands while meeting landowner desires and regulatory compliance. Travis is particularly skilled in developing forestland management plans, permitting, habitat restoration, timber sale management, forest products appraisal, and road design and construction. Throughout his career, he has established and managed long-term inventory and strategic planning databases for several tree farms totaling 9,500 acres and prepared hundreds of in-depth timber management and conservation activity plans. His diverse experience spans work with trusts, family tree farms, timberland investors, estates, conservation groups, tribes, government agencies, and industrial tree farms. He is certified as a Natural Resource Conservation Service Technical Service Provider, American Tree Farm System Qualified Inspector, and FAA Remote Pilot.

Back to list of staff