Brett M. Johnson, Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, CSU

Brett worships fish. Is it wrong?

Brett M. Johnson
Professor

Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
1474 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523

Office: 233 Wagar Phone: (970)491-5002 FAX: (970)491-5091
Email: brett"at"warnercnr.colostate.edu

Education
B.S. Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1983
M.S. Zoology, Aquatic Ecology Lab, The Ohio State University, 1986
Ph.D. Zoology, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1993

Professional Experience
2004- Professor, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology (now Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology), Colorado State University.
1998-2004 Associate Professor, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University.
1992-1998 Assistant Professor, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University.
1987-1992 Fisheries Manager, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.
1986-1987 Research Assistant, Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, UW-Stevens Point, and Research Specialist, WI Dept. of Natural Resources, Spooner.

Professional Affiliations
American Fisheries Society
Ecological Society of America
North American Lake Management Society

Colorado Lake and Reservoir Management Association

Research Interests
My research is directed at applying ecological principles to the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems. I am interested in trophic interactions, reservoir ecology, effects of nonnative fishes, fisheries management, limnology, bioenergetics, population dynamics, quantitative models. My current work is focusing on anthropogenic influences on aquatic ecosystems such as climate, invasive species, reservoir operations, sport fishery harvest regulation, fish stocking, and contaminants. I enjoy applying a wide variety of techniques and approaches including field sampling, modeling, field experiments, classical fisheries biology analytical techniques, stable isotope analysis, and otolith microchemistry. I am building bridges (excuse the pun) between aquatic ecology and environmental management with water researchers in CSU's engineering departments. Most of my projects benefit from close collaboration with managers and researchers from Colorado Division of Wildlife, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and folks in several other state and federal agencies.

Teaching
My teaching responsibilities include our senior-level Fishery Science course FW401 which stresses the quantitative aspects of fishery biology and fishery management. This course includes a laboratory section for hands-on experience with concepts discussed in lecture; labs stress computer applications for fishery analysis. I also teach Ichthyology FW300 and FW301 which cover fish anatomy and physiology, evolution and systematics, ecology, genetics, zoogeography, and conservation biology. I regularly co-teach graduate seminars and give numerous guest lectures in undergraduate and graduate courses. I draw heavily on my research experience to provide contemporary, interesting and illustrative examples for all of my courses.

Here are a couple of web resources I developed for my classes: Fish ID flashcards | Field Guide to Colorado-Wyoming Fishes

Awards and Honors
2006 Best Presentation Award, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

2006 Award of Excellence (Electronic Fish ID Flashcards). Study Sphere
2005 Provost's N. Preston Davis Award for Instructional Innovation, Colorado State University
2002 Certified Fisheries Professional, American Fisheries Society
2001 Most Significant Paper Award, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, American Fisheries Society
2001 Favorite Professor, CNR College Student Council, Dept of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University
1999 Interdisciplinary Water Research Award. The Water Center, Colorado State University
1998 Certificate of Appreciation. Colorado-Wyoming and Bonneville Chapters of the American Fisheries Society, Grand Junction, CO.
1997 Best Poster Award. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, WY.
1995 Best Paper Award (coauthor). Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Casper, WY.
1992 Best Student Poster Award (coauthor). North American Lake Management Society, Cincinnati, OH.
1990 Honorable Mention, Best Student Paper Award. Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
1989 Southern District Fish Manager of the Year. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
1989 Best Student Paper Award. Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Springfield, IL.
1987 Best Paper Award. Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
1985 Best Student Paper Award. National meeting, AFS, Sun Valley, ID.

My Graduate Students and Postdocs

Positions in My Lab

Publications

Arlinghaus, R., B.M. Johnson and C. Wolter. In press. The past, present and future role of limnology in freshwater fisheries science. International Review of Hydrobiology.

Johnson, B.M., P.J. Martinez, J.H. Hawkins, and K.R. Bestgen. In press. Ranking predatory threats by nonnative fishes in the Yampa River, Colorado via bioenergetics modeling. North American Journal of Fisheries Management.

Whitledge, G. W., B. M. Johnson, P. J. Martinez, and A. M. Martinez. 2007. Sources of nonnative centrarchids in the upper Colorado River revealed by stable isotope and microchemical analyses of otoliths. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136: 1263–1275.

Beauchamp, D. A., D. H. Wahl, and B. M. Johnson. 2007. Predator-Prey Interactions. Chapter 16 In M. L. Brown and C. S. Guy, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Crockett, H. J., B. M. Johnson, P. J. Martinez, and D. Brauch. 2006. Modeling Target Strength Distributions to Improve Hydroacoustic Estimation of Lake Trout Population Size. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 135:1095–1108.

Whitledge, G. W., B. M. Johnson and P. J. Martinez. 2006. Stable hydrogen isotopic composition of fishes reflects that of their environment. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63:1746-1751.

Nydick, K. R., B. M. Moraska Lafrancois, J. S. Baron, and B. M. Johnson. 2004. Nitrogen regulation of algal biomass, productivity, and composition in small mountain lakes, Snowy Range, Wyoming, USA. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 61:1256-1268.

Lafrancois, B. Moraska, K. R. Nydick, B. M. Johnson, and J. S. Baron. 2004. Cumulative effects of nutrients and pH on the plankton of two mountain lakes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 61:1153-1165.

Hardiman, J. M., B. M. Johnson, and P. J. Martinez. 2004. Do predators influence distribution of young-of-year kokanee in a Colorado reservoir? Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133:1366-1378.

Johnson, B.M., M. Anderson, L. Saito, P. Weiss, M. Andre and D. Fontane. 2004. Effects of climate and dam operations on reservoir thermal structure. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 130: 112-122.

Nydick, K. R., B. M. Moraska, J. S. Baron, and B. M. Johnson. 2003. Lake-specific responses to elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA. Hydrobiologia 510:103-114.

Koski, M. L., B. M. Johnson, and T. Stecklein. 2003. Effects of light on size selectivity of kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) feeding on Daphnia. Journal of Fish Biology 62:1456-1461.

Moraska, B.M., D. M. Carlisle, K. R. Nydick, B. M. Johnson, and J. S. Baron. 2003. Environmental characteristics and benthic invertebrate assemblages in Colorado mountain lakes. Western North American Naturalist 63:137-154.

MacRury, N. K., B. D. S. Graeb, B. M. Johnson and W. H. Clements. 2002. Comparison of dietary mercury exposure in two sympatric top predator fishes, largemouth bass and northern pike: a bioenergetics modeling approach. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery 9:137-147.

Lathrop, R.C., B. M. Johnson, T. B. Johnson, M. T. Vogelsang, S. R. Carpenter, T. R. Hrabik, J. F. Kitchell, J. J. Magnuson, L. G. Rudstam, and R. S. Stewart. 2002. Stocking piscivores to improve fishing and water clarity: a synthesis of the Lake Mendota biomanipulation project. Freshwater Biology 47:2410-2424.

Koski, M. and B. M. Johnson. 2002. Functional response of kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) feeding on Daphnia under a range of light intensities. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59(4): 707-716.

Johnson, B. M., P. J. Martinez, and J. D. Stockwell. 2002. Tracking trophic interactions in coldwater reservoirs using naturally occurring stable isotopes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 131:1-13.

Saito, L., B. M. Johnson, J. M. Bartholow, and D. G. Fontane. 2001. Interdisciplinary modelling to assess ecosystem effects of reservoir operations. Integrated Water Resources Management Symposium Proceedings, IAHS Publication No. 272, International Association of Hydrological Sciences, Oxford.

Martinez, P. J., B. M. Johnson, and J. Hobgood. 2001. Stable isotope signatures of native and non-native fishes in upper Colorado River backwaters and ponds. Southwestern Naturalist 46:311-322.

Saito, L., B. M. Johnson, J. Bartholow, and R. B. Hanna. 2001. Assessing ecosystem effects of reservoir operations using food web-energy transfer and water quality models. Ecosystems 4:105-125.

Johnson, B. M. and P.J. Martinez. 2000. Trophic economics of lake trout management in reservoirs of differing productivity. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 20:115‑131.

Stockwell, J. D. and B. M. Johnson. 1999. Field evaluation of a bioenergetics-based foraging model for kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 56 (Suppl. 1):140-151.

Johnson, B. M. and J. P. Goettl, Jr. 1999. Food web changes over fourteen years following introduction of rainbow smelt into a Colorado reservoir. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 19:629-642.

MacRury, N. K., and B. M. Johnson. 1999. Sublethal responses of largemouth bass to parasites and organochlorines. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 18:998-1006.

Swift-Miller, S. M., B. M. Johnson, and R. T. Muth. 1999. Environmental factors and the diet, distribution, and abundance of Rio Grande sucker (Catostomus plebeius) throughout its northern range. Southwestern Naturalist 44(2):148-156.

Stockwell, J. D., K. L. Bonfantine, and B. M. Johnson. 1999. Kokanee foraging: a Daphnia in the stomach is worth two in the lake. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 128:169-174.

Swift-Miller, S. M., B. M. Johnson, R. T. Muth, and D. Langlois. 1999. Distribution, abundance, and habitat use of RioGrande sucker in Hot Creek, Colorado. Southwestern Naturalist 44(1):42-48.

Saito, L., R.B. Hanna, J. Bartholow, and B. Johnson. 1999. Linking hydrodynamic and ecological models at Shasta Lake. Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers Water Resources Planning and Management Conference, Tempe, AZ

Stockwell, J. D. and B. M. Johnson. 1997. Refinement and calibration of a bioenergetics-based foraging model for kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54:2659‑2676.

Trebitz, A., S. R. Carpenter, P. Cunningham, B. Johnson, R. Lillie, D. Marshall, T. Martin, R. Narf, T. Pellett, S. Stewart, C. Storlie, and J. Unmuth. 1997. A model of bluegill-largemouth bass interactions in relation to aquatic vegetation and its management. Ecological Modelling 94:139-156.

Johnson, B. M., M. T. Vogelsang, and R. S. Stewart. 1996. Enhancing a Walleye Population by Stocking: Effectiveness and Constraints on Recruitment. Annales Zoologici Fennici 33:577-588.

Johnson, B. M. and P. J. Martinez. 1995. Selecting harvest regulations for recreational fisheries: opportunities for research/management cooperation. Fisheries 20(10):22-29.

Schindler, D. A., B. M. Johnson, N. Bouwes, J. F. Kitchell, and N. A. MacKay. 1994. A salt marsh predation intensity gradient: field and individual-based modeling evidence. Oecologia 97:49-61.

Johnson, B. M. and S. R. Carpenter. 1994. Functional and numerical responses: a framework for fish-angler interactions? Ecological Applications 4:808-821.

Carpenter, S. R., A. Munoz-del-Rio, S. Newman, P. W. Rasmussen, and B. M. Johnson. 1994. Interactions of anglers and walleyes in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin. Ecological Applications 4:822-832.

Johnson, B. M., and T. L. Margenau. 1993. Growth and mortality of stocked muskellunge fingerlings: effects on size distributions. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 13:625-629.

Johnson, B. M., S. J. Gilbert, R. S. Stewart, L. G. Rudstam, Y. Allen, D. M. Fago, and D. Dreikosen. 1992. Piscivores and their prey. Pages 319-352, In J.F. Kitchell, editor. Food web management: a case study of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Madenjian, C. P., B. M. Johnson, and S. R. Carpenter. 1992. Individual-based modeling: application to walleye stocking. Pages 493-506, In J.F. Kitchell, editor. Food web management: a case study of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Carpenter, S. R., B. M. Johnson, C. Luecke, C. P. Madenjian, J. R. Post, L. G. Rudstam, M. J. Vanni, Y. Allen, R. Dodds, K. McTigue, and D. Schael, 1992. Modeling the Lake Mendota ecosystem: synthesis and evaluation of progress. Pages 451-460, In J.F. Kitchell, editor. Food web management: a case study of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Springer-Verlag, New York

Rudstam, L. G., and B. M. Johnson. 1992. Development, evaluation, and transfer of new technology. Pages 507-524, In J. F. Kitchell, editor. Food web management: a case study of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Rudstam, L. G., C. Luecke, M. J. Vanni, Y. Allen, and B. M. Johnson. 1992. Food web structure of Lake Mendota. Pages 233-242, In J. F. Kitchell, editor. Food web management: a case study of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Johnson, B. M., and M. D. Staggs. 1992. The fishery. Pages 353-376, In J.F. Kitchell, editor. Food web management: a case study of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Johnson, B. M., R. S. Stewart, S. J. Gilbert, C. Luecke, and J. F. Kitchell. 1992. Forecasting the effects of gamefish stocking and harvest regulations on the planktivore community in a eutrophic lake. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 12:797-807.

Madenjian, C. P., B. M. Johnson, and S. R. Carpenter. 1991. Stocking strategies for fingerling walleyes: and individual based model approach. Ecological Applications 1:280-288.

Johnson, B. M., R. A. Stein, and R. F. Carline. 1988. Use of a quadrat rotenone technique and bioenergetics modeling to evaluate prey availability to stocked piscivores. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 117:127-141.

REPORTS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS