I am a Research Scientist in Aquatic Ecology at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, and an occasional lecturer in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. I am interested in the ecology of food webs and fish in estuarine environments, and the restoration of transitional zones across the terrestrial-aquatic interface. I mentor a team of scientists and students on various projects in the California Estuary. 

In addition to research, I teach intermittently on topics ranging from fish conservation to estuarine ecosystem processes, as well as a graduate-level class in Marine Ecology. 

Center for Watershed Sciences

Office 2111

425 LaRue Road

University of California, Davis

Davis, CA 95616

jrdurand@ucdavis.edu

https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/people/john-r-durand

My research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms (novel ecosystems); use of floodplains by fish; and reconciliation ecology.

I am author or co-author of more than 275 peer-reviewed publications, including Inland Fishes of California (2002). My most recent book is Environmental Flow Assessment: Methods and Applications ( 2019 Wiley Blackwell) with co-authors John Williams (lead author), Angus Webb, and Mathias Kondolf.  I have served on numerous advisory bodies, including the Ecosystem Restoration Program Science Board of the California Bay-Delta Authority and the National Research Council Panel on the Klamath River, as well as serving as an expert witness in trials and hearings dealing with fish.

I have had long-term research projects in Suisun Marsh and Putah Creek with shorter-term projects in the north Delta and other localities around northern California. 

https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/people/peter-b-moyle

My research interests revolve around ecosystem function in novel settings and human-dominated environments, with an emphasis on aquatic invertebrates and secondary production. For my dissertation, I studied the effects of constructed managed wetlands on zooplankton production, an imperiled ecosystem function that is critical for pelagic fishes in the San Francisco Estuary. Currently, I am extending that research to evaluate how alternate management strategies can be used to manipulate plankton productivity and am working with state agencies to develop management actions that could bolster pelagic food webs in the estuary using existing infrastructure.  

kapphillips@ucdavis.edu

I am a Junior Specialist co-leading our North Delta work with Abby Deen as well as leading work on Sacramento perch ecology.  I love freshwater fish, and am a strong proponent of cherishing the ecology that exists in one's own backyard. As such I am very interested in the fishes of Putah Creek, especially the Sacramento Pikeminnow.  

marogers@ucdavis.edu

I am a Junior Specialist in the Durand Lab assisting with various field projects in the North Delta and Suisun Marsh. My background is rooted in freshwater fish population dynamics and behavior, but I love exploring aquatic ecology more broadly. I am particularly fascinated by the interactions between habitat and food web dynamics — and anything involving fish diets. 

jaabel@ucdavis.edu 

I am a Junior Specialist in the Durand Lab group assisting with field and lab work across a variety of projects. My background is rooted in invertebrate and plant ecology. I am particularly interested in long-term ecological monitoring projects and habitat restoration.

mmdunlap@ucdavis.edu 

Yuexuan worked as a Junior Specialist and assisted with fieldwork on the North Delta and Suisun Marsh projects. Yuexuan was particularly interested in climate change influences on aquatic organisms, habitat conservation, and habitat restoration. 

RJ worked as a Junior Specialist with the Durand Lab on a variety of projects. RJ has an interest in the intersection of technology and conservation, GIS mapping, and anything mechanical.

Lawrence graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology in 2025. Lawrence specialized in processing benthic macroinvertebrates and performing fieldwork in the North Delta and Suisun Marsh. 

Leo graduated from UC Davis with a degree in biological sciences in the summer of 2025). Most of Leo's work focused on processing pond samples, chlorophyll filtration, and occasional fieldwork.