Humboldt-ERFSA will meet Thursday
Humboldt-ERFSA, the Emeritus Retired Faculty and Staff Association, will present Alison O'Dowd with a program titled “River Undammed: Exploring Biological Responses to Klamath Dam Removal” Thursday at noon at the Baywood Golf and Country Club in Arcata.
O'Dowd earned bachelor's degree in environmental science from the University of Oregon and a doctorate in aquatic ecology from UC Berkeley. She is a professor and chair in the Department of Environmental Science and Management at Cal Poly Humboldt and the co-director of Cal Poly Humboldt's River Institute. Her research interests are within the fields of aquatic ecology and ecological restoration. More specifically, she focuses on stream and wetland restoration, the ecology and eradication of invasive species, the impacts of wildfire on instream communities and the biological composition of step-pool sequences in mountain streams.
O'Dowd's research methods primarily use benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality and salmonid food resources in freshwater ecosystems.
More recently, her research has explored the impacts of dams and dam removal on downstream ecosystems in the Klamath, Trinity and Eel rivers.
O'Dowd received a grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board to support research into salmonid food webs in the Klamath River. The project seeks to understand the food web dynamics associated with Klamath Dam removals by examining the water quality, salmonid food resources and diet in the mainstem Klamath River and associated tributaries before, during and after Klamath dam removals. Findings will inform the management of fisheries and fish food resources associated with future dam removal projects. It will also advance the field of disturbance ecology by documenting the effects of a large-scale “planned” disturbance.
All in-person guests at the Humboldt-ERFSA lecture should be fully COVID-19 vaccinated and may wear masks while attending. A meet and greets begin at 11:30 a.m. Food and beverages can be ordered for lunch from Baywood's regular menu; arrive early to order lunch. O'Dowd's presentation will start at noon.