Science activities

Reset filters

Text search

Management theme

Science theme

Type

Delta region

Status

Science function

Management actions

Science topics

Science action area

Start year

End year

Lead implementing organization

Partner implementing organizations

Primary funding organizations

Funding programs

Funding Sources

Records

Title	Do light, nutrient, and salinity interactions drive the “bad Suisun” phenomenon? A physiological assessment of biological hotspots in the San Francisco Bay-Delta
Lead	University of California - Santa Cruz [UCSC]
Description	This project assessed the physiological basis for reduced phytoplankton growth in Suisun Bay, prior to the major upgrade at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP), which is responsible for 90% of the nitrogen released into the bay. The work involved analyzing almost three decades of historical eld data from the bay-delta and using it to build a model to evaluate environmental drivers of phytoplankton biomass. Discoveries from the eld data were then tested through laboratory culturing experiments. By illuminating the interacting e ects of bottom- up drivers (light, nutrients, salinity) on phytoplankton, this research helps provide a fundamental understanding of this complex ecosystem.
Science topics	Ammonia, Flushing rates, Light, Open water, Pelagic fish, Phytoplankton, Salinity, Wastewater discharge, Water temperature
Updated	November 17, 2022

Title	Predicting the Effects of Invasive Hydrozoa [Jellyfish] on Pelagic Organisms Under Changing Salinity and Temperature Regimes
Lead	University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
Description	The purpose of this project seeks to investigate the potential effects of jellyfish, a devising invader of some ecosystems, on the SFE ecosystem, to determine the key factors allowing successful establishment and spread of these species, and to predict future effects and spread of the invasions.
Science topics	Water temperature, Salinity, Pelagic fish, Jellyfish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Climate change impacts to San Francisco Bay-Delta wetlands: Links to pelagic food webs and predictive responses based on landscape modeling
Lead	San Francisco State University [SFSU]
Description	The purpose of this project is to 1) evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on SF Bay-Delta tidal wetlands, 2) improve our understanding of the linkage between these wetlands and the pelagic food web, especially fish populations, and 3) use this information to make predictions about potential effects of climate change on Bay-Delta fish populations.
Science topics	Pelagic fish, Wetlands
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Quantitative Indicators and Life History Implications of Environmental Stress on Sturgeon
Lead	University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
Description	The purpose of this project is to analyze the effects of the pollutants on the overall fitness of different life stages of the green and white sturgeon. This research will significantly enhance our understanding of stressors on sturgeon and allow further development of life history models.
Science topics	Water temperature, Salinity, Pelagic fish, Methylmercury, Sturgeon
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Comparison of Nutrient Sources and Phytoplankton Growth and Species Composition in Two Rivers: Their Roles in Determining Productivity and Food Web Conditions in Suisun Bay and the Delta
Lead	San Francisco State University [SFSU]
Description
Science topics	Phytoplankton, Pelagic fish, Nitrogen / ammonia
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	California Natural Diversity Database [CNDDB]
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) is an inventory of the status and locations of rare plants and animals in California. CNDDB staff work with partners to maintain current lists of rare species, as well as to maintain an ever-growing database of GIS-mapped locations for these species. The CNDDB is a "natural heritage program" and is part of a nationwide network of similar programs overseen by NatureServe (formerly part of The Nature Conservancy). All natural heritage programs provide location and natural history information on special status plants, animals, and natural communities to the public, other agencies, and conservation organizations. The data help drive conservation decisions, aid in the environmental review of projects and land use changes, and provide baseline data helpful in recovering endangered species and for research projects.
Science topics	Mudflats, Intertidal / transition zones, Above-highwater refugia, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Floating aquatic vegetation, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds, Riparian wildlife, Forests, Non-forested vegetation, Delta islands, Pacific flyway, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Pelagic fish, Benthos, Salt marsh harvest mouse, Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Gulls, Giant garter snake, California tiger salamander, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Striped bass, Corbicula/Potamocorbula, Nutria, Water hyacinth, Brazilian waterweed, Spongeplant, Giant reed, Yellow star thistle, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Other species, Fish, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and reptiles, Invertebrates, Invasive / non native species, Non-resident / overwintering birds
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Bioaccumulation Monitoring Program
Lead	San Francisco Estuary Institute [SFEI]
Description	The Bioaccumulation Oversight Group (BOG) is a subcommittee of the SWAMP Roundtable that provides oversight of SWAMP's statewide bioaccumulation monitoring program. The BOG is also a workgroup of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, and in this role manages the Safe to Eat Portal and is a forum for coordination of bioaccumulation monitoring in California. The mission of the BOG is to assess the impacts of contaminants in fish and shellfish on beneficial uses in California water bodies through statewide monitoring under SWAMP and perform syntheses of information from other studies, and to develop an internet portal that presents this information to decision-makers and the public in a form that they can easily use. See the Workgroup Charter for more information.
Science topics	Fishing, Main channels, Sloughs, Backwater, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Pelagic fish, Striped bass
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	National Wetland Condition Assessment [NWCA]
Lead	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA]
Description	The National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) is a statistical survey that begins to address some of the gaps in our understanding of wetland health by providing information on the ecological condition of the nationâ€™s wetlands and stressors most commonly associated with poor condition. The NWCA is designed to answer basic questions about the extent to which our nationâ€™s wetlands support healthy ecological conditions and the prevalence of key stressors at the national and regional scale. It is intended to complement and build upon the achievements of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wetland Status and Trends Program, which characterizes changes in wetland acreage across the conterminous United States. Paired together, these two efforts provide government agencies, wetland scientists, and the public with comparable, scientifically-defensible information documenting the current status and, ultimately, trends in both wetland quantity (i.e., area) and quality (i.e., ecological condition).
Science topics	Fishing, Surface water / flow, Groundwater, Tides, Flood, Drought, Nitrogen / ammonia, Phosphorous, Chlorophyll A / B, Harmful algal blooms HAB, Phytoplankton, Other zooplankton, Suspended sediment, Chemistry, Toxicity, Salinity, Dissolved oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Hg and methyl mercury, Other discharge contaminants, Mudflats, Intertidal / transition zones, Above-highwater refugia, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Floating aquatic vegetation, Seasonally flooded, Open water, Managed ponds, Riparian wildlife, Forests, Pelagic fish, Benthos, Insects, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Conductivity, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Habitat, Other species, Fish, Invertebrates, Fecal coliform / E. coli
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Suisun Marsh Fish Study
Lead	University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
Description	The University of California, Davis has been involved in fish and wildlife monitoring and research within Suisun Marsh for 35 years and has been instrumental in detecting important trends associated with naturally fluctuating environmental conditions as well as anthropogenic influences. Research has included a 35+ year time series on the fish and invertebrate communities of the slough networks, research on waterfowl nesting patterns and population biology, and research on the demography of salt marsh harvest mouse. The Suisun Marsh Fish Study anchors this effort as it is the longest established survey in Suisun marsh. It will continue the research of Professor Peter Moyle under the direction of John Durand, and will focus upon the detection of changes in the aquatic ecosystem in response to developing stressors in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE). This time series is designed to further our understanding of the ecology and function of the fish community residing within Suisun Marsh and the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), and acts as one of the key surveys with Interagency Ecological Program's monitoring effort.
Science topics	Stage, Tides, Salinity, Water temperature, Dissolved oxygen, Main channels, Sloughs, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, Sacramento Splittail, Pelagic fish, Benthos, Salt marsh harvest mouse, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Striped bass, Corbicula/Potamocorbula, Conductivity, Environmental drivers, Other species, Fish, Invertebrates
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Recreational Freshwater Fishing Licenses
Lead	California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW]
Description	California tracks the number of fishing licenses sold each year, by county.
Science topics	Fishing, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Green sturgeon, Pelagic fish, Fish
Updated	April 29, 2022

Title	Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring
Lead	California Department of Water Resource [DWR]
Description	California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has operated a fisheries monitoring program in the Yolo Bypass, a seasonal floodplain and tidal slough, since 1998. The objectives of the Yolo Bypass Fish Monitoring Program (YBFMP) are to: (1) collect baseline data on lower trophic levels (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and aquatic insects), juvenile fish and adult fish, hydrology, and water quality parameters;(2) investigation of the temporal and seasonal patterns in chlorophyll-a concentrations, including whether high concentrations are exported from the Bypass during agricultural and natural flow events and the possibility of manipulating bypass flows to benefit listed species like Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The YBFMP operates a rotary screw trap and fyke trap, and conducts biweekly beach seine and lower trophic surveys in addition to maintaining water quality instrumentation in the bypass. The YBFMP serves to fill information gaps regarding environmental conditions in the bypass that trigger migrations and enhanced survival and growth of native fishes, as well as provide data for IEP synthesis efforts.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Chlorophyll A / B, Conductivity, Delta Smelt, Direction, Dissolved oxygen, Endangered species, Fish, Flood, Food webs, Green sturgeon, Habitat, Habitat restoration, Insects, Intertidal / transition zones, Invasive / non native species, Invertebrates, Longfin Smelt, Main channels, Nitrogen, Nitrogen / ammonia, Nutrients, Other species, Other zooplankton, Pelagic fish, pH, Phytoplankton, Primary production, Sacramento Splittail, Salmon migration, Salmon rearing, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, SAV/FAV, Seasonally flooded, Solar irradiance, Stage, Steelhead Trout, Striped bass, Sturgeon, Submerged aquatic vegetation, Surface water / flow, Tides, Turbidity, Velocity, Water, Water temperature, Wetlands, White Sturgeon, Zooplankton
Updated	August 28, 2024

Title	Non-Invasive Environmental DNA Monitoring to Support Tidal Wetland Restoration
Lead	University of California - Davis [UC Davis]
Description	In this project we use single-species and multi-species environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches to monitor tidal wetland restoration sites and paired reference sites (existing, unrestored tidal wetlands located near restoration sites) in the San Francisco Bay Delta (SFBD). We are working in coordination with the CDFW Fish Restoration Program (FRP) and other collaborators so our eDNA detections can be paired with physical detections of fishes from their trawling efforts. Ultra-sensitive DNA single species detection methods are being used to identify restoration site use by listed species (Delta Smelt, Longfin Smelt, winter- and spring-run Chinook Salmon) while the DNA metabarcoding approach will evaluate entire fish communities (groups of different fish species) at restored and reference sites. Aside from revealing restored habitat use by other fishes, metabarcoding will reveal potential ecological interactions between Endangered Species Act listed and non-listed species, through concurrent detection in time and space. Sampling throughout the year will allow us to identify seasonal trends in fish use of restored and reference sites. This project will demonstrate the utility of eDNA detection as a non-invasive (no take), cost-effective monitoring tool that can complement conventional surveys of restored tidal wetlands in the SFBD. Our results can be incorporated into an adaptive monitoring framework for tidal wetland restoration, to increase success of future restoration projects.
Science topics	Chinook Salmon, Delta Smelt, Endangered species, Estuaries, Fish, Green sturgeon, Habitat, Habitat restoration, Invasive / non native species, Invertebrates, Longfin Smelt, Mollusks, Pelagic fish, Restoration, Restoration planning, Sacramento Splittail, Salmon migration, Salmon rearing, Steelhead Trout, Striped bass, Sturgeon, Tidal wetlands, Wetlands, White Sturgeon
Updated	May 24, 2024

Title	From Microbes to Zooplankton, What Defines a Beneficial Wetland?
Lead	San Francisco State University, Estuary & Ocean Science Center
Description	Our study will characterize species diversity at multiple levels of biological organization in the water column of restoring wetlands in the upper San Francisco Estuary and Delta (SFE), from bacteria to fishes. In doing so, we will also describe the foodweb benefits being provided to larval fishes, including longfin smelt, through additional dietary DNA analysis. We will use the species diversity we find in the water column to identify a subset of biota that are indicative of the conditions present in wetlands in different stages of restoration (early, intermediate, and mature) and identify connections between those indicators to the foodweb resources being provided to higher trophic levels. We will study 3-4 wetlands in each of 3 stages: early (unvegetated), intermediate (partially vegetated and partially channelized), and mature (fully vegetated and channelized) wetlands.
Science topics	Crustaceans, Cyanobacteria, Estuaries, Fish, Food webs, Habitat, Habitat restoration, Insects, Invertebrates, Longfin Smelt, Other species, Other zooplankton, Pelagic fish, Phytoplankton, Predation, Restoration, Salinity, Saltwater / freshwater marshes, Tidal wetlands, Wetlands, Zooplankton
Updated	January 31, 2024

Science activities

13 records

Advanced

Organizations and funding programs

Records