Title: Professor & Research Associate Dean (WCNR)
Institution: Colorado State University
Address: Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Campus Delivery 1474, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1474
Email: chris.myrick@colostate.edu
Phone: (970) 491-5657
Visit Christopher’s Research Website
Research Interests: Managing river and stream connectivity, fish passage design and evaluation, fish barrier design and evaluation, culture of rare and endangered species, fish environmental tolerance testing, invasive species management
Biographical Sketch:
I am a fish physiological ecologist who takes on applied management and conservation challenges and I host a dynamic fish physiological ecology lab. Our laboratory has a strong focus on managing instream connectivity through the design and evaluation of fish passage structures and fish migration barriers, particularly for native fishes that are not considered valuable from a sport- or commercial fishing viewpoint. We work on the "little brown fishes" that are often the most abundant and that represent the greatest biomass in stream systems, include minnows, darters, suckers, sculpin, stickleback, etc.. A secondary area of focus in the laboratory is on optimizing culture techniques for rare or endangered fish species (e.g. Burbot and Greenback Cutthroat Trout) by investigating the effects of diet types and water quality conditions on growth and development. We also have experience measuring the thermal biology of various fish species, including Sauger, Stonecats, and various Cutthroat Trout in short- and long-term studies. Finally, one overarching theme in the laboratory is that we always include undergraduates as part of our research teams because getting students engaged in research provides a much richer training than merely hearing about research in courses.
Education:
Ph.D. in Ecology (fish physiological ecology focus) from University of California Davis, granted 1998.
M.S. in Ecology (fish physiological ecology focus) from University of California Davis, granted 1996.
B.S. in Natural Resource Management (fisheries management concentration) from University of California Berkeley, granted 1992
Ongoing and Recent CESU Projects:
- DEVELOPING ROCK RAMP FISHWAY CRITERIA FOR FISHES OF REGIONAL CONSERVATION CONCERN
- HOW DOES ROCK-RAMP FISHWAY SURFACE TEXTURE AFFECT THE PASSAGE SUCCESS OF SMALL-BODIED GREAT PLAINS FISHES?
Other Research:
- ASSESSING SWIMMING AND JUMPING PERFORMANCE OF HORNYHEAD CHUB AND OTHER WYOMING FISHES.
- WGFD/CSU RESEARCH: THERMAL IMPACTS ON THE EARLY LIFE HISTORY OF SAUGER (SANDER CANADENSIS)
- An Undergraduate-Driven Exploration of Vertical-Slot Fishways for Front Range Fishes