Thomas Quinn

My research addresses a wide variety of topics related to the behavior, ecology, evolution, and conservation of Pacific salmon, trout, and char, and their ecosystems. Some of my long-standing interests are the patterns of migration and homing by salmon, and the mechanisms that underlie these behavior patterns. This work involves sonic and radio tracking, analysis of large data sets on tagged fish, and experiments. I am also interested in the evolutionary aspects of homing – the formation of locally adapted populations, and gene flow arising from straying. This work includes natural populations, populations transplanted to other locations, and the recolonization of habitat after dam removal or modification. Another interest is in predator-prey interactions in juvenile and adult salmonids, with a particular emphasis on ecological and evolutionary aspects of predation by bears on salmon. I have also had a number of projects related to the ecological and evolutionary effects of human activities on salmon and trout, such as selective fishing and artificial propagation in hatcheries.