Oregon Staff Member
Melanie J Davis
Assistant Unit Leader
Phone: (541) 737 - 1961
Email: melaniedavis@usgs.gov
Faculty Email: melanie.davis@oregonstate.edu
Faculty Website
Education
- Ph D University of Washington 2019
- MS Colorado State University 2012
- BS Miami University 2009
Biography
Dr. Melanie Davis arrived at the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in Fall 2020 after almost seven years as a Project Coordinator for the USGS Western Ecological Research Center's Olympia, Washington substation. Her work is focused on ecosystem and community level responses to climate-mediated disturbance, landscape scale processes and their effects on target species, and the development of monitoring tools, programs, and strategies to inform management actions. Most of her research is directed toward salmonids and non-game fishes, but her lab's emphasis on habitat has allowed her to work in an array of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Davis employs a variety of quantitative tools and techniques to learn about how species interact with their environment, with a particular emphasis on spatially explicit habitat models. She is currently developing a disturbance ecology course for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students. She enjoys mentoring students, and is actively seeking ways to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences.
Areas of Expertise
Aquatic Ecology, Climate Change, GIS/Spatial Analysis, Landscape Ecology, Population and Community Ecology, Remote Sensing, Statistics and Modelling
Taxon Groups Studied
Amphibians, Anadromous Fishes, Freshwater Fishes, Nongame Fish/Wildlife, Salmonids, Species of Greatest Conservation Need, Ungulates, Waterfowl
| Research Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Woo, I, MJ Davis, SEW De La Cruz, L Windham-Myers, JZ Drexler, KB Byrd, EJ Stuart-Haëntjens, FA Anderson, BA Bergamaschi, G Nakai, CS Ellings, and S Hodgson. 2021. Carbon flux, storage, and wildlife co-benefits in a restoring estuary: case study at the Nisqually River Delta, Washington, USA. In K Krauss, Z Zhilang, and C Stagg (eds.) Wetland Carbon and Environmental Management. Wiley Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119639305.ch5 | Publisher Website | October 2021 |
| Woo, I, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, JY Takekawa, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2019. A mosaic of estuarine habitat types with prey resources from multiple environmental strata supports a diversified foraging portfolio for juvenile Chinook salmon. Estuaries and Coasts 42:1938-1954. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00613-2 | November 2019 |
| Woo, I, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, G Nakai, JY Takekawa, and SEW De La Cruz. 2018. Enhanced invertebrate prey production following estuarine restoration supports foraging for multiple species of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.). Restoration Ecology 26:964-975. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12658 | September 2018 |
| Rubin, SP, MJ Davis, EE Grossman, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, G Nakai, and JY Takekawa. 2024. Benthic macroinvertebrate response to estuarine emergent marsh restoration across a delta-wide environmental gradient. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 12:xx-xx. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2024.1356679 | April 2024 |
| Rosen, MR, SEW De La Cruz, KD Groover, I Woo, SA Roberts, MJ Davis, and CY Antonino. 2023. Selenium hazards in the Salton Sea environment—summary of current knowledge to inform future wetland management. USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2023-5042. https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20235042 | July 2023 |
| Riginos, C, M Graham, MJ Davis, A Johnson, A May, K Ryer, and L Hall. 2018. Wildlife Warning Reflectors and White Canvas Reduce Deer-Vehicle Collisions and Risky Road-Crossing Behavior. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 42:119-130. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.862 | March 2018 |
| Moritsch, MM, KB Byrd, MJ Davis, A Good, JZ Drexler, I Woo, JT Morris, L Windham-Myers, G Nakai, EE Grossman, K Poppe, and J Rybczyk. 2022. Can coastal ecosystems rise to the challenge? Shifts in distribution and carbon accumulation of deltaic ecosystems in response to sea-level rise and management in a South Puget Sound estuary. Estuaries and Coasts xx:xx-xx. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-022-01087-5 | May 2022 |
| Ellings CS, MJ Davis, EE Grossman, I Woo, S Hodgson, KL Turner, G Nakai, JE Takekawa, and JY Takekawa. 2016. Changes in habitat availability for outmigrating juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) following estuary restoration. Restoration Ecology 24:415-427. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12333 | May 2016 |
| Drexler, JZ, MJ Davis, I Woo, and SEW De La Cruz. 2020. Carbon sources in the sediments of a restoring vs. historically unaltered salt marsh. Estuaries and Coasts 43:1345-1360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00748-7 | April 2020 |
| Davis, MJ, S Thokala, X Xing, NT Hobbs, MW Miller, R Han, and S Mishra. 2013. Testing the functionality and contact error of a GPS-based wildlife tracking network. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 37: 855-861. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.303 | December 2013 |
| Davis, MJ, S Thokala, X Xing, NT Hobbs, D Walsh, R Han, and S Mishra. 2012. Developing a data transfer model for WildSense: a wildlife tracking network. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 36:820-827. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.188 | December 2012 |
| Davis, MJ, PN Kleinhenz, and MD Boone. 2011. Juvenile green frog (Rana clamitans) predatory ability not affected by exposure to carbaryl at different times during larval development. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 30:1618-1620. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.539 | July 2011 |
| Davis, MJ, KL Poppe, JM Rybczyk, EE Grossman, I Woo, JW Chamberlin, M Totman, T Zackey, F Leonetti, S Shull, and SEW De La Cruz. 2024. Vulnerability to sea-level rise varies among estuaries and habitat types: lessons learned from a network of surface elevation tables in Puget Sound. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01335-w | March 2024 |
| Davis, MJ, JW Chamberlin, JR Gardner, KA Connelly, MM Gamble, BR Beckman, and DA Beauchamp. 2020. Variable prey consumption leads to distinct, regional differences in Chinook salmon growth during the early marine critical period. Marine Ecology Progress Series 640:147-169. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13279 | April 2020 |
| Davis, MJ, J Purrenhage, and MD Boone. 2012. Elucidating predator-prey interactions using aquatic microcosms: complex effects of a crayfish predator, vegetation, and atrazine on tadpole survival and behavior. Journal of Herpetology 46:527-534. https://doi.org/10.1670/10-185 | December 2012 |
| Davis, MJ, J Anthony, EJ Ward, J Firman, and C Lorion. 2023. Coherence among Oregon Coast coho salmon populations highlights increasing relative importance of marine conditions for productivity. Fisheries Oceanography 32:293-310. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog/12630 | February 2023 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, and SEW De La Cruz. 2019. Development and implementation of an empirical habitat model and decision support tool for estuarine ecosystems. Ecological Modelling 410:108722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108722 | October 2019 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, CS Ellings, and G Nakai. 2024. Allochthonous marsh subsidies support food web productivity in a large-river delta and its surrounding ecosystem mosaic. PLoS ONE 19:e0296836. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296836 | February 2024 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, DA Beauchamp, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2021. A climate-mediated shift in the estuarine habitat mosaic limits prey availability and reduces nursery quality for juvenile salmon. Estuaries and Coasts 45:1445-1464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-01003-3 | Publisher Website | October 2021 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, DA Beauchamp, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2019. Freshwater tidal forests and estuarine wetlands may confer early life growth advantages for delta reared Chinook salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148:289-307. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10134 | March 2019 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, DA Beauchamp, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2018. Integrated diet analyses reveal contrasting trophic niches for wild and hatchery juvenile Chinook salmon in a large river delta. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 147:818-841. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10088 | September 2018 |
| Davis, MJ, CS Ellings, I Woo, S Hodgson, K Larsen, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2018. Gauging resource exploitation by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in restoring estuarine habitat. Restoration Ecology 26:976-986. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12643 | September 2018 |
| Byrd, KB, I Woo, L Hall, E Pindilli, M Moritsch, A Good, S De La Cruz, MJ Davis, and G Nakai. 2024. Birdwatching preferences reveal synergies and tradeoffs among recreation, carbon, and fisheries ecosystem services in Pacific Northwest estuaries, USA. Ecosystem Services 69:101656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101656 | September 2024 |
| Anderson, CM, MJ Krigbaum, MC Arostegui, ML Feddern, JZ Koehn, PT Kuriyama, C Morrisett, CI Allen Akselrud, MJ Davis, C Fiamengo, A Fuller, Q Lee, KN McElroy, M Pons, and J Sanders. 2019. How commercial fishing effort is managed. Fish and Fisheries 20:268-285. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12339 | March 2019 |
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| Woo, I, SEW De La Cruz, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, and S Hodgson. 2016. Assessing the restoring landscape within the Nisqually River Delta for invertebrate prey production. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. | April 2016 |
| Woo, I, SEW De La Cruz, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, and G Nakai. 2019. Monitoring and Applied Research to Assess Restoration Benefits for Delta-Rearing Juvenile Chinook in the Nisqually River Delta, WA. American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society Joint Annual Conference, Reno, Nevada. | September 2019 |
| Woo, I, SEW De La Cruz, MJ Davis, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, G Nakai, E Grossman, S Rubin, R Takesue, K Larsen, A Lind-Null, and AW Stevens. 2018. Assessing restoration performance at the Nisqually River Delta: opportunity, capacity, and realized function. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Seattle, Washington, USA. | May 2018 |
| Woo, I, SEW De La Cruz, L Windham-Myers, K Thorne, JZ Drexler, KB Byrd, BA Bergamaschi, MJ Davis, FE Anderson, L Ballanti, Z Zhu, J Schmerfeld, K Johnson, and G Nakai. 2016. Integrating Blue Carbon Initiatives with the Management of Wildlife Cobenefits: a Case Study at the Nisqually River Delta, WA. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, USA. | December 2016 |
| Rubin, SP, M Hayes, CS Ellings, EE Grossman, W Duval, I Woo, MJ Davis, SEW De La Cruz, S Blakely, and K Stenberg. 2016. River Delta Eelgrass Supports Extended Estuary Residence and Foraging by Outmigrating Chinook Salmon. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. | April 2016 |
| Ponce Velez, R, K Carey, and MJ Davis. 2024. Small streams, big macs: can macroinvertebrate biodiversity explain reductions in redband trout abundance and distribution in the Goose Lake Basin? 154th Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Honolulu, Hawaii. | September 2024 |
| Moritsch, MM, K Byrd, MJ Davis, JZ Drexler, I Woo, JT Morris, L Windham-Myers, G Nakai, and E Grossman. 2020. Sea level rise projected to reduce tidal marsh habitat and carbon sequestration. Restore America's Estuaries Summit (online). | September 2020 |
| Moritsch, MM, K Byrd, MJ Davis, JZ Drexler, I Woo, JT Morris, L Windham-Myers, G Nakai, and E Grossman. 2020. Sea level rise projected to reduce tidal marsh habitat and carbon sequestration. Ecological Society of America (online). | August 2020 |
| Kusaka, C., M. Davis, and J.T. Peterson. 2023. Spatial Analysis of Trends in Tufted Puffin Breeding Habitat on the Oregon Coast. Pacific Seabird Group 50th Annual Meeting, Feb. 15-17, La Jolla, CA | February 2023 |
| Kusaka, C., M. Davis, and J.T. Peterson. 2022. Spatial Analysis of Trends in Tufted Puffin Breeding Habitat on the Oregon Coast. 7th Annual Science Of The Service Meeting. April 20, 2022. | April 2022 |
| Kusaka, C, MJ Davis, and JT Peterson. 2025. Roots and Roosts: Examining Seabird Burrow Abundance in Relation to Invasive Plants. Waterbird Society and Pacific Seabird Group Joint Meeting, San Jose, Costa Rica. | January 2025 |
| Kennedy, K, MJ Davis, and C Zambory. 2024. Sticks and stones vs. sensors: comparing methods of quantifying juvenile salmonid habitat across spatial scales. 154th Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Honolulu, Hawaii. | September 2024 |
| Kennedy, K, MJ Davis, C Zambory. 2024. Quantifying and defining habitat suitability at multiple scales for Oregon Coast juvenile Oncorhynchus mykiss and Oncorhynchus kisutch. Oregon American Fisheries Society 2024 Annual Conference, Bend, Oregon. | February 2024 |
| Greene, CM, EM Beamer, R Henderson, J Chamberlin, J Hall, JH Anderson, M Pouley, MJ Davis, S Hodgson, and CS Ellings. 2018. Density-dependent and landscape effects upon estuary rearing in Chinook salmon: insights from long-term monitoring in four Puget Sound estuaries. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Seattle, Washington, USA. | May 2018 |
| Ellings, CS, MJ Davis, I Woo, S Hodgson, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2021. Nisqually Delta restoration research and Chinook salmon recovery planning: management implications. Nearshore Summit and Synthesis, Olympia, Washington, USA (online). | March 2021 |
| Drexler, JZ, MJ Davis, and I Woo. 2020. Blue carbon sources and carbon accumulation rates in restored versus historic marshes in southern Puget Sound, Washington. AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting, San Diego, California, USA. | February 2020 |
| Dickey, J, and MJ Davis. 2024. Exploring Lamprey Habitat Relationships: A Dual-scale Analysis in the Goose Lake Basin. Oregon American Fisheries Society 2024 Annual Conference, Bend, Oregon. | February 2024 |
| Dew, A, and MJ Davis. 2024. Burning questions: exploring wildfire's influence on coldwater fish habitats in an endorheic basin. Oregon American Fisheries Society 2024 Annual Conference, Bend, Oregon. | February 2024 |
| Davis, MJ. 2021. Addressing the intersection between climate change, anthropogenic disturbance, and local management actions in aquatic ecosystems. U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, USA. | January 2021 |
| Davis, MJ, NT Hobbs, MW Miller, SK Thokala, X Xing, R Han, and S Mishra. 2011. Testing the data transfer capabilities of WildSense: a GPS-based wildlife tracking network. Ecological Society of America 96<sup>th</sup> Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas, USA. | August 2011 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, G Nakai, CS Ellings, and S Hodgson. 2018. Dynamic habitat models for estuary-dependent species. Nisqually River Council, Yelm, Washington, USA. | December 2018 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, and G Nakai. 2019. A decade of post-restoration monitoring in the Nisqually River Delta: structure, function, and benefits for juvenile salmon. Salmon Recovery Conference, Tacoma, Washington, USA. | April 2019 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, DA Beauchamp, and G Nakai. 2019. Linking habitat models to consumption and growth: a spatially explicit approach. Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. | June 2019 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, CS Ellings, EE Grossman, S Rubin, and G Nakai. 2014. Assessing post-restoration changes in opportunity and capacity on the Nisqually River Delta. South Sound Science Symposium, Olympia, Washington, USA. | October 2014 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, SEW De La Cruz, C Ellings, S Hodgson, and G Nakai. 2023. Terrestrial-aquatic linkages support food web productivity in an estuarine ecosystem mosaic. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. Portland, Oregon, USA. | August 2023 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, JY Takekawa, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, EE Grossman, K Turner, G Nakai, JE Takekawa. 2015. Changes in habitat availability for outmigrating juvenile salmon (Oncorhychus spp.) following estuary restoration. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference, Portland, Oregon, USA. | November 2015 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, CS Ellings, and S Hodgson. 2017. Habitat availability, prey biomass, and resource utilization for juvenile salmon in restoring estuarine habitat: An integrated analysis. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, USA. | August 2017 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, CS Ellings, and G Nakai. 2016. Elucidating patterns of channel erosion, sediment deposition, and vegetative regrowth on the restored Nisqually River Delta. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. | April 2016 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, CS Ellings, S Hodgson, and SEW De La Cruz. 2018. Stable isotope analysis reveals different trophic niche spaces for wild and hatchery origin juvenile Chinook salmon in the Nisqually Delta. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Seattle, Washington, USA. | June 2018 |
| Davis, MJ, I Woo, C Ellings, S Hodgson, D Beauchamp, G Nakai, and S De La Cruz. 2022. How will climate change affect estuarine nursery quality? Findings from a spatially explicit bioenergetics model in the Nisqually River Delta. Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (online). | April 2022 |
| Davis, MJ, E Dziedzic, and T Levi. 2024. Environmental DNA metabarcoding for the detection of native species in a drought-sensitive, endorheic basin. 154th Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Honolulu, Hawaii. | September 2024 |
| Davis, MJ, CS Ellings, I Woo, S Hodgson, G Nakai, and SEW De La Cruz. 2021. Nisqually Delta restoration research and Chinook salmon recovery planning: state of the science. Nearshore Summit and Synthesis, Olympia, Washington, USA | March 2021 |
| Davis, MJ, A Dew, E Dziedzic, and T Levi. 2024. eDNA metabarcoding for the detection of sucker and other native species in the Goose Lake Basin. Oregon American Fisheries Society 2024 Annual Conference, Bend, Oregon. | February 2024 |
| Davis MJ. 2018. Monitoring estuarine structure and function after the Nisqually river Delta Restoration. South Sound Science Symposium, Olympia, Washington, USA. | October 2018 |
| Byrd, KB, L Ballanti, D Nguyen, M Simard, N Thomas, L Windham-Myers, E Castaneda, KD Kroeger, ME Gonneea, J O'Keefe Suttles, P Megonigal, T Troxler, LM Schile, MJ Davis, and I Woo. 2016. A national-scale remote sensing-based methodology for quantifying tidal marsh biomass to support "Blue Carbon" accounting. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, USA. | December 2016 |
| Brill, G, MJ Davis, and A Carpenter. 2024. Quantifying adult white sturgeon (Acipensar transmontanus) movement in the John Day Reservoir, Columbia River. Oregon American Fisheries Society 2024 Annual Conference, Bend, Oregon. | February 2024 |
| Technical Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Woo, I, MJ Davis, and SEW De La Cruz. 2018. Changes in aquatic prey resources in response to estuary restoration in Willapa Bay, southwestern Washington. Open-File Report 2018-1194. US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia. | December 2018 |
| Riginos, C, MW Graham, MJ Davis, C Smith, and A Johnson. 2015. Effects of wildlife warning reflectors ("deer delineators") on wildlife-vehicle collisions in central Wyoming. Technical Publication FHWA-WY-15/03F. Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming, USA. | May 2015 |
| Greene, CM, E Beamer, J Chamberlin, G Hood, M Davis, K Larsen, J Anderson, R Henderson, J Hall, M Pouley, T Zackey, S Hodgson, C Ellings, and I Woo. 2021. Landscape, density-dependent, and bioenergetic influences upon Chinook salmon in tidal delta habitats: Comparison of four Puget Sound estuaries. ESRP Report 13-1508. Report prepared for the Washington State Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program, Olympia, Washington, USA. | January 2021 |
| Type | Citation | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
| Data Release | Moritsch, MM, KB Byrd, MJ Davis, A Good, JZ Drexler, I Woo, JT Morris, L Windham-Myers, EE Grossman, K Poppe, J Rybczyk, and G Nakai. 2022. Projected future habitat, elevation change, and carbon accumulation of coastal wetlands in the Nisqually River Delta, Washington. U.S. Geological Survey data release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ONIUCK | 2017 |
| Role and Organization | Individual | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Society for Ecological Restoration - Secretary - CSU Student Guild | Davis | August 2009 | May 2012 |
| American Fisheries Society - National, Western, and Oregon chapters. | Davis | August 2021 | Present |