My name is Sam Betances (she/her/hers) and I am 2020 DFP intern working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on a project based in Neah Bay in western Washington state. You can join me and my fellow DFP interns on our respective fellowship journeys by checking back here where we will periodically update you all on our progress and experiences!

 I thought I should begin my blog with a brief introduction of myself and my project. I received my Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquatic Science from Purdue University in my home state of Indiana. After my undergraduate studies, I worked as a North Pacific Groundfish Observer for the National Marine Fisheries Service in the Bering Sea of Alaska for about 2.5 years. During my time in Alaska I saw first-hand how anthropogenic impacts are degrading our valuable fisheries and felt compelled to pursue a career in fisheries management. This passion for fisheries conservation led me to the Fisheries and Wildlife Department at Michigan State University where currently I am a Master’s student. I’m advised by Dr. Dana M. Infante, working in her Aquatic Landscape Ecology Lab. My graduate thesis focuses on using landscape factors to predict stream habitat throughout the state of Michigan to better conserve fishes into the future under a changing climate.

 In addition to my work in Alaska, I have previously held other positions within natural resource agencies which have been incredibly rewarding. Working with agencies such as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, both the Indiana and Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and various states’ Sea Grant programs has given me an appreciation for agency conservation work. After my graduate program concludes, I hope to work for a natural resource agency where I can join my fellow agency biologists and researchers in conserving our nation’s fishes. The DFP internship is a wonderful opportunity to make connections with managers, work on interesting and important conservation projects, and gain a better understanding of how federal natural resources agencies operate.

 Currently, I am a DFP intern in the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office which is located in Lacey, Washington. However, I was not able to travel to Washington due to safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic; and so, my updates come to you remotely from Lansing, Michigan. My DFP project focuses on using stream habitat data (i.e., how wide is the stream, how deep, are there pools or riffles, how much large wood is in the channel, and so on…) collected by the Makah Tribe to estimate seasonal carrying capacity for juvenile Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Tsoo-Yess River watershed.

 Anadromous salmonids, like Coho salmon, migrate between saltwater and freshwater habitats. Specifically, anadromous salmonids live their adult life in the ocean and sexually mature adults migrate into rivers to reproduce and lay their eggs. After the eggs hatch, larvae feed and grow into juveniles. After approximately one to two years, juveniles will migrate out to the ocean and feed and grow into adults. Once sexually mature, adult salmon will return to their natal streams to spawn and the cycle repeats. When adult salmon are feeding and growing in the ocean, they are especially vulnerable to overharvest. To offset this overharvest, USFWS and the Makah Tribe work collaboratively to raise Coho salmon as well as fall-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) at the Makah National Fish Hatchery (Makah NFH), located on the Tsoo-Yess River within the Makah Indian Reservation.

Both previous and current research has demonstrated that stream habitat is an important factor in the production of juvenile Coho salmon. Estimates of where habitat is most optimal for juvenile Coho survival as well as how many juveniles the stream can functionally support is important to for managers to know so juvenile Cohos will have a better chance of surviving and returning to reproduce as adults. To accomplish this, we will be using a habitat limiting factor model to estimate locations of suitable habitat and the production potential of streams for juvenile Coho salmon (more on that in later blogs!). Results of our analysis will help guide management in choosing stocking locations and estimating stocking densities given the production potential at those locations to better increase the chance of juvenile Coho salmon survival and potentially increase the abundance of returning sexually mature adult salmon.

I can’t wait to share more of my experiences with you all. Check back here periodically for more updates!

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: Makah National Fish Hatchery