Noah S. Adams, M.S.

Email: noah_adams@usgs.gov

Masters in Fisheries Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. Undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry, Linfield College, McMinnville, OR. Currently, Research Fishery Biologist, USGS Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, Washington.

Mr. Adams is a senior principal investigator in the Anadromous Fish Ecology section. His team has developed a comprehensive research program to assess the physical and biological factors influencing the behavior and survival of juvenile anadromous salmonids emigrating through Columbia River reservoirs. Juvenile salmonids must pass through numerous hydroelectric dams. Although passage through these dams has been identified as a major factor causing the decline in salmon populations, it is not clear how to improve passage conditions to increase survival. Mr. Adams has built upon current knowledge and use creativity and innovation in designing and conducting research to examine the behavior of juvenile anadromous salmonids as they migrate through free-flowing and impounded reaches of the Snake and Columbia rivers. The goal of his research is to provide management agencies with strategies for increasing survival of juvenile salmonids by altering the operation of the dams (e.g., powerhouse and spillway) or through changes in the physical structure of the dams (e.g., surface collection and juvenile bypass systems).

Mr. Adams current areas of expertise are in the behavioral ecology of fishes, habitat use and migrational behavior of juvenile salmonids, and application of radio telemetry technology to study fish behavior.

Representative Publications:

Adams, N. S., D. W. Rondorf, S. E. Evans, and J. E. Kelly. 1998. Effects of surgically and gastrically implanted radio transmitters on the growth and feeding behavior of juvenile chinook salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 127: 128-136.

Adams, N. S., D. W. Rondorf, S. E. Evans, J. E. Kelly, and R. W. Perry. 1998. Effects of surgically and gastrically implanted radio transmitters on the swimming performance and predator avoidance of juvenile chinook salmon. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 55:781-787.

Perry, R. W., N. S. Adams, and D. W. Rondorf. 2001. Buoyancy compensation of juvenile chinook salmon implanted with two different size dummy transmitters. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 130:46-52.

Adams, N. S. and 6 co-authors. 1999. Migrational characteristics of radio-tagged juvenile salmonids during operation of a surface collection and bypass system. Pages 105-117 In M. Odeh, editor. Innovations in Fish Passage Technology. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Mailing Address:

U.S. Geological Survey
Western Fisheries Research Center
Columbia River Research Laboratory
5501-A Cook-Underwood Road
Cook, Washington 98606-9717

Phone: 509-538-2299 x254
Fax: 509-538-2843