Delta Stewardship Council, Delta Science Program

Nitrogen cycling and ecosystem metabolism before and after regulatory action
This project focuses on nitrogen and carbon cycling within the Bay-Delta, both before and after planned 2021 upgrades to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP).

Consequences of Phragmites invasion for community function in Suisun Marsh
This project aims to quantify the impacts of common reed (Phragmites) invasion on community structure and ecosystem function during early stages of tidal restoration in wetlands.

Wetland carbon sequestration and impacts of climate change
This project aims to improve understanding of atmospheric and hydrologic carbon fluxes in a restored tidal salt marsh in the South San Francisco Bay.

Changes in and controls on biogeochemistry in the SF Bay-Delta
In collaboration with the United States Geological Survey, this research will explore temporal and spatial variability of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry across the San Francisco Bay-Delta.

Pesticide risk analyses and management actions, chemical fate and transport
This project work will model the risk of pesticide pollution in 225 sub-catchments of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta.

The effect of temperature on predation of juvenile salmonids
This study will investigate fish swim performance in response to temperature, using salmon and two of its known predators: largemouth bass and Sacramento pikeminnow.  The researcher will assess swi

Environmental geochemistry and tidal wetland support of pelagic food webs
This project aims to characterize and quantify where detrital material (decaying plant matter) originates within wetlands, the composition of that material, and how export of detrital particles occ

Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria growth and response to stressors
Pesticide and nutrient inputs from human activities are present in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta, but the impact of these stressors together on algae is not well known.

Estuarine fish community responses to climate, flow, and habitat
The goal of this research is to better understand how climate change will affect fishes with different life histories and habitat associations across the San Francisco Estuary.

Risk of fish predation within and across tidal wetland complexes
This study focuses on understanding how restored tidal wetlands with different physical configurations function as refuge and rearing habitat for fishes, including native and imperiled species such