James Gilbert, an associate project scientist in the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) at UC Santa Cruz, was recognized by the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) with its Staff of the Quarter award for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021.
Gilbert is affiliated with both UCSC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the UCSC-NOAA Fisheries Collaborative Program (FCP), which brings together UCSC and NOAA scientists to conduct research for the conservation and management of California’s living marine resources. The award recognizes his work as part of the FCP’s Central Valley Salmon project.
According to the citation announcing the award, "During the extreme drought year of 2021, James Gilbert rose above and beyond his assigned duties by diving into the extremely challenging and contentious arena of water modeling in the California Central Valley. During a period when many powerful interests are competing for available water resources, James’ work provides a clear and transparent view of how water is managed, and what can be done to protect endangered salmon that rely on these resources to persist.”
Research by Gilbert and his colleagues on Central Valley salmon provides critical information for fisheries and water resource managers, as well as the public, about how to support resilient salmon populations for future generations.
