Mitchell J Eaton, Ph.D.
Mitchell Eaton is a Research Ecologist with the USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and an adjunct faculty member in Applied Ecology at NC State University. His research focuses on wildlife ecology and management, emphasizing quantitative modeling to understand resource dynamics and use of decision-theoretic methods to guide management decisions under uncertainty.
Mitch earned a M.S. in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota (2002; use of harvest data to assess sustainability of tropical vertebrates) and his Ph.D in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado (2009; population demographics, genetics and harvest management of African crocodiles). An interest in how policy makers actually use science to make decisions led him to a postdoc at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (USGS), where he worked with some of the top researchers in the field of decision theory to develop and apply quantitative decision-analytic tools for addressing resource management issues in the U.S. and globally. Mitch currently integrates his background and interests in population ecology with decision science to help managers and decision makers frame management problems, formulate approaches to predict outcomes and evaluate trade-offs, test hypotheses and improve decision making via adaptive management, and optimally allocate resources under uncertainty. Mitch is interested in bridging the science-management gap by working with decision makers early in their formulation of management issues and considering how science can most effectively support decision-making. He also has an ongoing interest in tropical ecology, crocodilian conservation and wildlife harvest dynamics.
Additional Projects:
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Conservation and management of the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis): designing a monitoring program and occupancy models to test hypotheses of habitat and competition on patch occupancy and dynamics
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Development of an adaptive management plan to restore the Herring River estuary, Cape Cod
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado
M.S. in Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota
Science and Products
Informing Conservation Management Decision-Making at Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
Application of an Adaptive Management Plan to Reduce Uncertainty and Improve Decisions in Restoring the Herring River Estuary
Optimizing preservation for multiple types of historic structures under climate change
Cape Romain partnership for coastal protection
Integrated hierarchical models to inform management of transitional habitat and the recovery of a habitat specialist
Modeling structural mechanics of oyster reef self-organization including environmental constraints and community interactions
A Bayesian Dirichlet process community occupancy model to estimate community structure and species similarity
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change
Do empirical observations support commonly-held climate change range shift hypotheses? A systematic review protocol
A social-ecological odyssey in fisheries and wildlife management
A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts
Spatial conservation planning under uncertainty using modern portfolio theory and nash bargaining solution
Climate change adaptation for coastal national wildlife refuges
Spatial conservation planning under uncertainty: Adapting to climate change risks using modern portfolio theory
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
Informing Conservation Management Decision-Making at Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
Application of an Adaptive Management Plan to Reduce Uncertainty and Improve Decisions in Restoring the Herring River Estuary
Optimizing preservation for multiple types of historic structures under climate change
Cape Romain partnership for coastal protection
Integrated hierarchical models to inform management of transitional habitat and the recovery of a habitat specialist
Modeling structural mechanics of oyster reef self-organization including environmental constraints and community interactions
A Bayesian Dirichlet process community occupancy model to estimate community structure and species similarity
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change
Do empirical observations support commonly-held climate change range shift hypotheses? A systematic review protocol
A social-ecological odyssey in fisheries and wildlife management
A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts
Spatial conservation planning under uncertainty using modern portfolio theory and nash bargaining solution
Climate change adaptation for coastal national wildlife refuges
Spatial conservation planning under uncertainty: Adapting to climate change risks using modern portfolio theory
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.