Santa Cruz is a beautiful place to talk about fish! This April, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) conference in Santa Cruz, CA. The conference, held mere steps from the beach, inspired, educated, and connected me to this vast body of fish-focused work.
The conference opened with a powerful and inspiring speech from Yurok and Karuk Native American and Stanford University graduate student, Brook Thompson. Klamath dam removal was the main subject of Thompson’s remarks, and she wove together the history of her Tribes and a call for the social justice that the Klamath dams obstruct. I found it especially powerful when Thompson addressed the conference hall, brimming with passionate and accoladed researchers, scientists, and professionals, and she asked us to look around the room and notice who was not here today. Many people were missing from this room, Thompson noted, including young people, specifically those under 18, and people of color.
Field tours were also offered through the conference. I had the chance to travel some miles north up the coast, to Pescadero, where the San Mateo Resource Conservation District, CDFW, CA State Parks, and more partners led a tour of the interconnected watershed system there consisting of Pescadero and Butano Creeks. The creeks converge in Pescadero Marsh before spilling out into the ocean. The marsh is the site of a recent large scale restoration project to address anoxia and prevent fish kills.
Throughout the next two days, dozens of sessions occurred highlighting topics ranging from lagoons to community collaboration. CalTrout’s presence at the conference was impressive with five speakers, two moderators, and many more attendees. While the wealth of knowledge I gained from this conference is too broad to share in a single blog post, below I will share with you my top six fun facts and key takeaways from SRF 2022!
Bonus fun fact: Did you know that there are Pacific Lamprey in Pescadero? Biologists discovered them in the Pescadero Marsh during the restoration project there!
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.