Address fish passage and stream habitat restoration needs across the data poor, dispersed island region of southeast alaska by developing new tools and a framework to apply them

This research will help inform stream habitat restoration assessment and project prioritization related to culvert and other fish barrier removal in a way that maximizes the potential habitat gains for fish species such as pacific salmon while minimizing the cost to carry out these restoration activities.activities will include a training of a masters-level graduate student in fisheries to develop and optimize geospatial tools for restoration habitat assessment and prioritization. The initial focus will be in southeast alaska, with planned expansion to other regions within the state and elsewhere in the U.S. As additional data are collated and the tools are further developed and expanded in their scope. Activities under this award will be based on analysis of existing data, with no new fieldwork anticipated directly for this project.expected products include annual progress memos, a final report in the form of publication(s) in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presentations at one or more scientific conferences at the state or national level, and a masters thesis. The principal beneficiaries of the research carried out under this award will be managers and research personnel associated with habitat restoration within the U.S. Fish and wildlife service. Secondary beneficiaries include other state and federal entities with an interest in stream restoration within the state of alaska and nationally, as well as a broad array of commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing interests who rely on pacific salmon populations and other fisheries.