We support research that improves our understanding of how climate change is likely to affect the Northwest’s natural and cultural resources and how science-based management can reduce climate risks to those resources. Our research is designed to help regional resource managers make climate-smart decisions when managing Northwest fish, wildlife, water and lands. 

Search our project portfolio below to learn more about our in-progress and completed projects. These projects include those funded through the NW CASC Consortium’s Research Fellowship Program and Faculty Fellowship Program, as well as those funded through the NW CASC’s USGS project portfolios. Our funded projects align with our climate adaptation research priorities, which are developed through collaboration between regional natural resource managers and scientists and are outlined in our five-year Science Agenda.

2024
Complete

Amphibians & Reptiles, Aquatic Ecosystems, Fish, Mammals, Research Fellow Project

Can Beaver Ponds Create Amphibian Refuges From Climate Change and Predatory Fish?

2024
Complete

Grassland Ecosystems, Invertebrates, Research Fellow Project

Evaluating the Influence of Climate Change on Vegetation Patterns and Management in Priority Habitat for an At-Risk Butterfly in South Puget Sound Prairies

2024
Complete

Forest & Woodland Ecosystems, Plants, Research Fellow Project

The Future of the Forest’s Giants: Exploring Development and Survival of Large Trees at Mount Rainier National Park

2024
Complete

Alpine & Sub-Alpine Ecosystems, Plants, Research Fellow Project

Restoring Trampled Subalpine Meadows to Build Climate Resilience at Mt. Rainier National Park

2023
Complete

Aquatic Ecosystems, Fish, Research Fellow Project, Tribal Community Resilience

Restoring the Relationship: Human Dimensions and Climate Resilience Strategy for Managing Pacific Lamprey Fisheries in the Columbia River

2023
Complete

Changes In Precipitation, Research Fellow Project, Tribal Community Resilience

Exploring the Intersection of Settler Colonialism and Climate Change on the Fort Hall Bottoms

2023
Complete

Forest & Woodland Ecosystems, Research Fellow Project, Wildfire

Built-in Resilience? Understanding Conifer Seed and Cone Availability After Wildfire in Northwestern Cascadia

2023
Complete

Birds, Plants, Refugia, Research Fellow Project, Wildfire

Migrating in a Warming World: Thermal and Fire Refugia for Migratory Birds en Route

2023
Complete

Coastal Ecosystems, Invertebrates, Research Fellow Project

Understanding Low Oxygen Zones and Ocean Acidification in Puget Sound to Inform Tribal Resource Management

2023
Complete

Research Fellow Project, Resist-Accept-Direct Framework

Resisting, Accepting, and Directing Trade-Offs: How do Resource Practitioners Navigate Ethical Dimensions of Land Management Decisions Within the Resist-Accept-Direct Framework?

2023
Complete

Changes In Precipitation, Invasive Species, Research Fellow Project

Back to the Future: Using Historical Data to Forecast Climate Change and Species Invasion Scenarios for Lake Whatcom, Washington

2023
Complete

Coastal Ecosystems, Plants, Research Fellow Project

Understanding the Genetic and Molecular Mechanisms Behind Eelgrass Flowering to Inform Restoration Efforts

2023
Complete

Birds, Forest & Woodland Ecosystems, Increasing Temperatures, Research Fellow Project

Modeling the Distribution of a Rare Idaho Native, the Cassia Crossbill, with Climate Change Implications

2023
Complete

Fish, Invasive Species, Research Fellow Project

Conserving Native Montana Trout Populations by Identifying Environmental and Biological Factors Promoting the Spread of Invasive Trout

2022
Complete

Aquatic Ecosystems, Fish, Refugia, Research Fellow Project

How is Groundwater Storage Related to Coldwater Habitat in the Teanaway River Basin?