David D. Huff - Ph.D. Candidate
(Fisheries and Aquatic Biology)
 David and his dog looking for sculpins in a stream. |
About Me
I am originally from the beautiful State of Oregon. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Portland State University and then went on to get a Master of Science degree from Lehigh University. My Master’s thesis dealt with the ecology of yellow perch in lakes. After that, I worked as an aquatic ecologist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for 6 years before deciding to pursue a PhD at the University of Minnesota.
Current Research
My PhD project investigates how genetically and ecologically divergent strains of a small fish, the slimy sculpin, respond to reintroduction in streams. Do populations represent a distinct evolutionary trajectory that should be preserved? Should source populations be mixed to maximize adaptive potential or matched to their new habitat because they are adapted to specific conditions? What is the importance of heritable adaptations to local environments for reintroduction success? This research has practical applications, but we are also addressing basic questions about this wide ranging species’ phylogeography and life history.
Research Interests
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I am interested in research questions associated with the conservation of native fishes and their habitats. I see management activities, such as reintroductions, as an opportunity to examine a species’ habitat requirements, biotic interactions, local adaptations and other aspects of its life history. By carefully planning and monitoring conservation practices, I believe we can acquire valuable insights into species and community responses to change in a natural environment. Conservation scientists are also able to suggest improvements for future management actions because it is possible to purposefully manipulate the conditions of a conservation program and document the outcome. By integrating hypotheses and experiments with management, a bridge between basic and applied knowledge is created that can reveal insights into autecology, behavior, population genetics, community dynamics and other ecological processes that will improve conservation efforts.
Peer Reviewed Publications
Huff, D. D., L.M. Miller, and B. Vondracek. Patterns of ancestry and genetic diversity in reintroduced populations of the slimy sculpin: Implications for conservation. In Review. Biological Conservation.
Ranasinghe, J. A, K. I. Welch, P. N. Slattery, D. E. Montagne, D. D. Huff, H. Lee, J. L. Hyland, B. Thompson, S. B. Weisberg, and J. M. Oakden. 2009. Habitat-Related Benthic Macrofaunal Assemblages of Bays and Estuaries of the Western United States. In Press. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.
Fujishin, L. M., F. K. Barker, D. D. Huff, L. M. Miller. 2009. Isolation of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci for slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) (pdf). Published Online: 23 September 2009. Conservation Genetics Resources.
Ranasinghe J. A., S. B. Weisberg, R. W. Smith, D. E. Montagne, B. Thompson, J. M. Oakden, D. D. Huff, D. B. Cadien, R. G. Velarde, C. Beegan. 2009. Evaluation of Five Indicators of Benthic Community Condition in California, USA Bay and Estuarine Habitats (pdf). Marine Pollution Bulletin 59:5-13.
Van Sickle, J., D. D. Huff, and C. P. Hawkins. 2006. Selecting discriminant function models for predicting the expected richness of aquatic macroinvertebrates (pdf). Freshwater Biology 51:359-372.
Huff, D. D., S. L. Hubler and A. N. Borisenko. 2005. Using field data to estimate the thermal niche of aquatic vertebrates (pdf). North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:346-360.
Huff, D. D., G. Grad and C. E. Williamson. 2004. Environmental Constraints on Spawning Depth of Yellow Perch: The Roles of Low Temperature and High Solar Ultraviolet Radiation (pdf). Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133:718-726.
Technical Reports
Ranasinghe J. A., K. I. Welch, P. N. Slattery, D. E. Montagne, D. D. Huff, H. Lee, J. L. Hyland, B. Thompson, S. B. Weisberg, J. M. Oakden, D. B. Cadien and R. G. Velarde. 2008. Habitat related benthic macrofaunal assemblages of bays and estuaries of the western United States (pdf). The Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Technical Report #575.
Huff, D.D., S. L. Hubler, Y. Pan, and D. L. Drake. Detecting Shifts in Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Requirements: Implicating Causes of Impairment in Streams (pdf). 2008. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Watershed Assessment. Technical Report: DEQ06-LAB-0068-TR.
Contact Me
Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
University of Minnesota
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
1980 Folwell Avenue, 138 Hodson Hall
St. Paul, MN 55108
phone: 612-624-3421
fax: 612-625-5299
coopunit@tc.umn.edu