Gretchen Hansen

Gretchen Hansen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, specializing in freshwater ecosystems and environmental change. Her work bridges ecological research with practical management solutions, focusing on fisheries ecology, climate change impacts, aquatic invasive species, and adaptive conservation strategies.

• Education: Ph.D. and B.S. from University of Wisconsin-Madison; M.S. from Michigan State University
• Research Methods: Statistical analysis of historical data, field observations, simulation modeling, and large-scale experiments

Her research explores:

• Climate change effects on coldwater habitats and fish populations
• Aquatic invasive species impacts on food webs
• Water clarity trends and littoral zone dynamics
• Landscape-scale fish habitat modeling
• Adaptive management frameworks for sustainable fisheries

Recent publications highlight her expertise in:

• Physiologically guided climate modeling for poikilotherms
• Deep learning applications for lake temperature analysis
• Long-term invasion biology studies
• Food web manipulations through invasive crayfish control
• Sustainable recreational fisheries management