Sarah A Sonsthagen, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Sarah joined the Nebraska Cooperative Unit in 2020 from the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center where she studied the evolutionary relationships among Arctic vertebrate populations. Her research focuses on investigating ecological drivers of connectivity and adaptive capacity of species of conservation concern using both field- and laboratory-based methods. Movement underlies many key processes in ecology and evolution and is critical for species response to environmental change, as such, she applies population and community driven approaches to evaluate genomic and demographic connectivity across the landscape, adaptive capacity, and the influence of species biology in shaping spatial and temporal genomic diversity to inform management decisions. Sarah has taught Population genetics, Application of genomics in conservation, and Ornithology.
Sarah was a post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History and National Zoo, awarded her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from University of Alaska Fairbanks, M.S. in Zoology from Brigham Young University, and B.S. in Biology from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Professional Experience
2013 - 2021 Research Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center
2015 - Present Research Associate, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
2014 - Present Affiliate Faculty, Utah State University
2009 - Present Affiliate Faculty, University of Alaska Anchorage
2009 - 2013 Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2006 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
M.S. 2002 Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
B.S. 2000 University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI
Affiliations and Memberships*
Sea Duck Joint Venture Continental Technical Team Member
Wilson Ornithological Society Research Grants Review Committee Member
Science and Products
Scoter (Melanitta sp.) ddRAD SNP and Microsatellite Genetic Data, North America and Europe, 1977-2012
Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Data, 2014-2018, Alaska and Russia
Development of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Greater-White Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) for genetic stock identification on wintering grounds, 2019
Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai) and Hawaiian Gallinule (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis) Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Data, 2014-2016, Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai, Hawaii
Genetic Data from Arctic, Polar, and Saffron Cod and Walleye Pollock, Alaska and Canada, 2011-2017
Larus Gull Microsatellite DNA Data, 2006-2009
Implications of historical and contemporary processes on genetic differentiation of a declining boreal songbird: The rusty blackbird
Record fledging count from a seven-egg clutch in the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in merlins (Falco columbarius) and cross-species amplification in gyrfalcons (F. rusticolus) and peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus)
High site fidelity does not equate to population genetic structure for common goldeneye and Barrow's goldeneye in North America
Microbiomes from biorepositories? 16S rRNA bacterial amplicon sequencing of archived and contemporary intestinal samples of wild mammals (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)
DNA metabarcoding of feces to infer summer diet of Pacific walruses
Mitochondrial genome diversity and population mitogenomics of Polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and Arctic dwelling gadoids
Genetic confirmation of a natural hybrid between a Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and a Cooper’s Hawk (A. cooperii)
Visualizing populations of North American sea ducks: Maps to guide research and management planning
Temporal variation in genetic structure within the threatened spectacled eider
DNA Sequencing confirms Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris serrirostris) occurrence in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley in Arkansas, USA
Coast to coast: High genomic connectivity in North American scoters
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
Scoter (Melanitta sp.) ddRAD SNP and Microsatellite Genetic Data, North America and Europe, 1977-2012
Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Data, 2014-2018, Alaska and Russia
Development of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Greater-White Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) for genetic stock identification on wintering grounds, 2019
Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai) and Hawaiian Gallinule (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis) Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Data, 2014-2016, Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai, Hawaii
Genetic Data from Arctic, Polar, and Saffron Cod and Walleye Pollock, Alaska and Canada, 2011-2017
Larus Gull Microsatellite DNA Data, 2006-2009
Implications of historical and contemporary processes on genetic differentiation of a declining boreal songbird: The rusty blackbird
Record fledging count from a seven-egg clutch in the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in merlins (Falco columbarius) and cross-species amplification in gyrfalcons (F. rusticolus) and peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus)
High site fidelity does not equate to population genetic structure for common goldeneye and Barrow's goldeneye in North America
Microbiomes from biorepositories? 16S rRNA bacterial amplicon sequencing of archived and contemporary intestinal samples of wild mammals (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)
DNA metabarcoding of feces to infer summer diet of Pacific walruses
Mitochondrial genome diversity and population mitogenomics of Polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and Arctic dwelling gadoids
Genetic confirmation of a natural hybrid between a Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and a Cooper’s Hawk (A. cooperii)
Visualizing populations of North American sea ducks: Maps to guide research and management planning
Temporal variation in genetic structure within the threatened spectacled eider
DNA Sequencing confirms Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris serrirostris) occurrence in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley in Arkansas, USA
Coast to coast: High genomic connectivity in North American scoters
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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government