We are ecologists based at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory who study lakes in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. We conduct rigorous science to solve management challenges in this iconic mountain range. Our research includes studies at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. To provide the information necessary for sound management decisions, we employ long-term capture-mark-recapture studies, whole-lake experiments, and large-scale lake surveys. Working closely with agency scientists, we use results from these studies to guide the development and implementation of lake restoration and amphibian conservation actions.
Our Partners
We are fortunate to partner with scientists from state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and universities. Our agency partners include California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and multiple forests within the U.S. Forest Service. We collaborate with both the San Francisco Zoo and Oakland Zoo for amphibian rearing, reintroductions, and research on amphibian immune function.
Beginning in 2022, we are active members of the Resilience Institute Bridging Biological Training and Research (RIBBiTR). RIBBiTR, a Biology Integration Institute funded by the National Science Foundation, was created to “conduct research and training that integrates across sub-disciplines in the biological sciences to better understand how living systems achieve resilience to emerging infectious diseases and other global change stressors.”
News
Summer 2026 Field Team
[We are no longer accepting new applications for Summer 2026. Thanks to everyone who applied. We will read every application personally, and anticipate making decisions and notifications in mid to late February. Read on for an example of what our field team does and what we look for in future applicants.] Are you passionate about …
2024 MLRG Annual Newsletter
Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog recovery in the news!
Roland, Tom, and colleagues Max Joseph (Planet, CU Boulder ), Mark Wilber (U. Tennesee), and Rob Grasso (Yosemite National Park) are celebrating new work just published in Nature Communications! This article synthesizes decades of frog recovery work, including frog translocations, capture-mark-recapture population studies, disease quantification, and mathematical modeling. Take away: frogs in Yosemite have adapted …
Continue reading “Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog recovery in the news!”