Dr. Brent Nichols, Fisheries & Water Resources Division Director
Dr. Nichols, a native of the great state of Tennessee that grew up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains currently serves as the Fisheries & Water Resources Division Director for the Spokane Tribe of Indians. He holds a B.S. in Marine Science and M.Sc. in Ecology from Jacksonville State University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Systematics from the University of South Florida. He is an avid SCUBA diver with over 800 hours underwater. Dr. Nichols’ current research interest is focused on using an integrative approach to understand how natural and human disturbances affect ecosystem structure and function. Currently his research is investigating (1) the ecological and evolutionary processes affecting abundance, distribution and habitat availability of riverine species that are impacted by hydropower system development and operation; (2) examining the limiting factors to primary productivity and the role zooplankton populations play in the food web of pelagic riverine ecosystems; (3) recruitment failure, genetic diversity and autopolyploidism in White Sturgeon; and, (4) the ecology and evolution of tardigrades.