Elise Irwin, PhD
Biologist - Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Headquarters
Research Interests
Elise currently leads the CRU communications team. Previously, Elise led a broad research program at Auburn University in fisheries ecology with emphasis on reduction of uncertainty regarding how anthropomorphic changes in riverine and other aquatic environments affect biological processes of aquatic species. Thematically her research has primarily investigated how management, landscape patterns and disturbance regimes affect biological processes in aquatic systems, with two main areas of focus: 1) effects of spatial and temporal arrangement of riverine habitat on population parameters of fishes and, 2) definition and reduction of uncertainty regarding functional relations between hydrologic and chemical characteristics of riverine environments and fish distribution, abundance and/or growth of fish and invertebrates.
Teaching Interests
Before leading the CRU communications team, Elise taught courses on river systems, structured decision making, and adaptive management at Auburn University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in Sheperdstown, West Virginia.
Professional Experience
Biologist, Cooperative Research Units Program Headquarters, 2021-
Assistant Unit Leader, Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 1995-2021
Education and Certifications
Ph D North Carolina State University 1994
MS Tennessee Technological University 1989
BS Delaware State College 1987
Science and Products
Proposal for adaptive management to conserve biotic integrity in a regulated segment of the Tallapoosa River, Alabama, U.S.A
Environmental impact of elevated arsenic in Southern Appalachian Basin coals
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Proposal for adaptive management to conserve biotic integrity in a regulated segment of the Tallapoosa River, Alabama, U.S.A
Environmental impact of elevated arsenic in Southern Appalachian Basin coals
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.