Nicholas Som

Nicholas Som, Ph.D., serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Fisheries Biology at Cal Poly Humboldt and Unit Leader of the California Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. His interdisciplinary work integrates advanced statistical methodologies with fisheries science to address critical challenges in aquatic ecosystem management, particularly within the Klamath River basin.

His academic foundation includes:

• B.S. in Mathematics from Regis University (2000)
• M.S. in Statistics from Washington State University (2002)
• Ph.D. in Forest Science (Ecological Statistics) from Oregon State University (2009)

Dr. Som specializes in statistical modeling of habitat use, fish disease dynamics (particularly Ceratonova shasta in salmonids), spatial sampling on stream networks, and life-cycle dynamics modeling. His research develops innovative quantitative frameworks to evaluate habitat restoration, disease management, and flow regulation impacts on endangered fish populations. Methodological contributions include the SSNdesign R package for optimal stream network sampling and extensions to the Stream Salmonid Simulator (S3) modeling framework.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent focus on Klamath-Trinity River systems, with recent work examining dam removal effects, parasite-host dynamics, and hydrodynamic habitat relationships. His 15 most recent articles demonstrate interdisciplinary integration of hydrology, disease ecology, and population modeling to inform conservation decisions.

As Unit Leader of the California Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Dr. Som facilitates critical partnerships between USGS, state agencies, and Cal Poly Humboldt to translate research into actionable management strategies for Pacific salmonid conservation.