Hauser, Lorenz

My research program has developed along three principal themes. The first primary direction is the demography, dispersal and reproduction of marine species, not only for the identification of self-recruiting populations as units for management and conservation, but also to investigate mechanisms of dispersal and patterns of demographic variability. The second primary theme, estimation of reproductive success by genetically identifying offspring of anadromous salmonids, has developed since my appointment at SAFS, and was mainly the result of collaborations with Tom Quinn and Ray Hilborn. The third direction is an almost inevitable interest in molecular genetic markers themselves, in particular, how mutation mechanisms, patterns of variability and statistical analyses affect the interpretation of molecular data in a biological context. In pursuing these aims, I have worked on a variety of marine and freshwater organisms in both the Old and New World, and have adopted an opportunistic approach that took advantage of appropriate model systems, the expertise of collaborators and available funding opportunities. My research is therefore not centered on a specific organism or system, but represents a more generalist approach to answering questions using the best model system available. Virtually all my projects are collaborations with colleagues at the UW or local State and Federal Agencies – these collaborations and the number of fish and fisheries scientists in the Pacific Northwest makes Seattle one of the most exciting and inspiring places to work in the world.