Sandra Jacobson, Ph.D. is the Director for CalTrout’s South Coast Region, which extends from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Based in San Diego, Sandra works with the South Coast Steelhead Coalition and other conservation partners regionally to recover endangered steelhead and restore their habitat in Southern California. Recovery efforts include removing large fish passage barriers, managing invasive species, improving water quality and preserving native trout populations. Sandra brings to this conservation effort a background in molecular biology, strategic planning and project management in academics and industrial R&D, most recently in the areas of renewable fuels and environmental biology. With a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Colorado and geared toward science-based conservation, Sandra has worked closely with non-profit organizations and governmental entities for the past fifteen years to secure grant funding and build interdisciplinary teams to implement environmental projects in Southern California in a coast-to-headwaters approach that is feasible in the context of urbanized coastal areas.
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.