Brian Wells

Research Interests:

Generally, I quantify the relationships between vital rates of fishes, environmental conditions, and fishing practices with the intent of using this information for improved management. Before relocating to the West Coast, I worked extensively along the East Coast as a researcher and manager. As a researcher, my work related to modeling movement rates, maturation, fidelity, and mortality of coastal fishes (e.g. black drum, weakfish, striped bass, Atlantic salmon). This work involved developing and extending techniques in tagging (Jiang et al. 2007, NAJFM), otolith microchemistry (Wells et al CJFAS 2001, 2003; Wells et al TAFS 2000; Wells et al. MEPS 2003), and fisheries stock assessment (Jones and Wells Fish. Bull. 1998, 2001). I also served on the ASMFC as a stock assessment biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The experiences I gained on the East Coast made my transition to West Coast research and management relatively simple. During 2003-2007 my research developed new methods for determining the role of environmental variation of growth, maturation, and survival of important salmon species (Wells et al Fish. Ocean. 2006,2007,2008) and ecosystem dynamics (Wells et al. MEPS 2008). These works also demonstrate methodology for including environmental variables into fishery forecast models.

Additional Information:

Education:

Publications:

Santora, J.A, W.J. Sydeman, M. Messie, F. Chai, Y. Chao, S.A. Thompson, B.K. Wells, and F. Chavez. In review. Triple check: Observations verify structural realism of an ocean ecosystem model. Geophysical Research Letters.

Woodson, L., B.K. Wells, R. C. Johnson, P. Weber, R.B. MacFarlane and G Whitman. In review. Evaluating selective mortality of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) across years of varying ocean productivity. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Satterthwaite, W.H., M.S. Mohr, M.R. O’Farrell and B.K. Wells. In review. A comparison of temporal patterns in the ocean spatial distribution of California’s Central Valley Chinook salmon runs. Canadian Journal of Fisheries Science.

Schroeder, I.D., E. Hazen, B.A. Black, S.J. Bograd, W.J. Sydeman, J. Santora, and B.K. Wells. 2013. The North Pacific High and wintertime pre-conditioning of California Current productivity. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI:10.1002/grl.50100

Woodson, L.E., B.K. Wells, C.B. Grimes, R.P. Franks, J.A. Santora, and M.H. Carr. 2013. Water and otolith chemistry identify exposure of juvenile rockfish to upwelled waters in an open coastal system. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 473:261-273.

Santora J., J.C. Field, I. D. Schroeder, K.M. Sakuma., B.K. Wells, and W.J. Sydeman. 2012. Spatial ecology of krill, micronekton and top predators in the central California Current: Implications for defining ecologically important areas. Progress in Oceanography. 106:154-174.

Huff, D.D., S.T. Lindley, B.K. Wells, and F. Chai. 2012. Green sturgeon distribution in the Pacific Ocean estimated from modeled oceanographic features and migration behavior. Public Library of Science One. 7:e45852.

Wells, B.K., J.A. Santora, J.C. Field, R.B. MacFarlane, B.B. Marinovic, and W.J. Sydeman. 2012. Population dynamics of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha relative to prey availability in the central California coastal region. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 457:125-137.

Santora, J.A., W.J. Sydeman, I.D. Schroeder, C.S. Reiss, B.K. Wells, J.C. Field, A.M. Cossio, and V.J. Loeb. 2012. Krill Space: A comparative assessment of mesoscale structuring in polar and temperate marine ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 69:1317-1327.

Satterthwaite W.H., M.S. Mohr, and B.K. Wells. 2012. A Bayesian hierarchical model of size at age in ocean-harvested stocks – quantifying effects of climate and temporal variability. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 69:942-954.

Hayes, S.A., M.H. Bond, B.K. Wells, C.V. Hanson, A.W. Jones, and R.B. MacFarlane. 2011. Using archival tags to infer habitat use of central California steelhead and coho salmon. In Advances in Fish Tagging and Marking Technology. American Fisheries Society Symposium. 76:471-492.

Santora, J.A., W.J. Sydeman, I.D. Schroeder, B.K. Wells, J.C. Field. 2011. Mesoscale structure and oceanographic determinants of krill hotspots in the California Current: Implications for trophic transfer and conservation. Progress in Oceanography. 91:397-409.

Black, B. I.D. Schroeder, W.J. Sydeman, S.J. Bograd, B.K. Wells and F.B. Schwing. 2011. Winter and summer upwelling modes and their biological relevance in the California Current Ecosystem. Global Change Biology. 17:2536-2545.

Sydeman, W.J., SA Thompson, J.A. Santora, K.L. Mills, D.F. Bertram, K.H. Morgan, M.A. Hipfner, B.K. Wells, and S.G. Wolf. 2009. Seabirds and climate in the California Current - A synthesis of Change. CalCOFI Reports 82-106

Wells, B.K., J. Field, J. Thayer, C. Grimes, S. Bograd, W. Sydeman, F. Schwing, and R. Hewitt. 2008. Untangling the relationships among climate, prey, and top predators in an ocean ecosystem. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 364:15-29

Elsdon, T.S., B.K. Wells, S.E. Campana, B.M. Gillanders, C.M. Jones, K.E. Limburg, D.H. Secor, S.R. Thorrold and B.D. Walther. 2008. Otolith chemistry to describe movements and life-history parameters of fishes: hypotheses, assumptions, limitations, and inferences. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 46:297-330.

Wells, B.K ., C.B. Grimes, J.G. Sneva, S. McPherson, and J.B. Waldvogel. 2008. Relationships between oceanic conditions and growth of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from Alaska, Washington, and California, USA. Fisheries Oceanography, 17:101-125

Wells, B.K., C.B. Grimes, and J.B. Waldvogel. 2007. Quantifying the effects of wind, upwelling, curl, turbulence, and sea surface temperature on growth and maturation of a California Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) population. Fisheries Oceanography 16:363-382

Jiang, H., K.H. Pollock, C. Brownie, J.M. Hoenig, R.J. Latour, B.K. Wells, J. Hightower, and W.S. Hearn. 2007. Tag return models for catch-and-release fisheries: striped bass natural mortality estimates change with age and calendar year. North American Journal of Fisheries Management . 27:387-396

Wells, B.K ., C.B. Grimes, J.C. Field, and C.S. Reiss. 2006. Covariation between the average lengths of mature coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and the ocean environment. Fisheries Oceanography. 15:67-79.

Wells, B.K., K.D. Friedland, and L. M. Clarke. 2003. Increment patterns in otoliths and scales from mature Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 262:293-298.

Wells, B. K., S. R. Thorrold, and C. M. Jones. 2003. Stability of elemental signatures in the scales of spawning weakfish, Cynoscion regalis. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 60:361-369.

Wells, B. K ., B. E. Rieman, J. L., J. L. Clayton, D. Horan, and C. M. Jones. 2003. Relationships between water, otolith, and scale chemistries of westslope cutthroat trout from the Coeur d'Alene River, Idaho: the potential application of hard-part chemistry to describe movements in fresh water. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 132:409-424.

Wells, B. K . and C. M. Jones. 2002. Reproduction of black drum, Pogonias cromis, in the Chesapeake Bay region. Virginia Journal of Science. 33:3-11.

Jones, C. M. and B. K. Wells. 2001. Yield-per-recruit analysis for black drum, Pogonias cromis, along the East Coast of the U.S. and management strategies for the Chesapeake Bay. Fishery Bulletin. 99:328-337.

Wells, B. K., G. E. Bath, S. R. Thorrold, and C. M. Jones. 2000. Incorporation of strontium, cadmium, and barium in juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) scales reflects water chemistry. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 57: 2122-2129.

Wells, B. K. , S. R. Thorrold, and C. M. Jones. 2000. Geographic variation in elemental signatures of weakfish scales. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 129: 889-900.

Jones, C. M. and B. Wells. 1998. Age, growth, and mortality of black drum. Pogonias cromis, in the Chesapeake Bay. Fishery Bulletin 96: 451-461.

Curriculum Vitae File