Yong Cao

Yong Cao holds dual roles as Principal Research Scientist (Stream Ecology) at the Illinois Natural History Survey and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on freshwater ecosystems, including aquatic biodiversity, species distribution modeling, and the impacts of human activities on stream and lake environments.

Key research interests include stream ecology, conservation biology, and the application of ecological models to assess and predict species responses to environmental changes. He investigates topics such as non-native species impacts, climate change effects on freshwater biodiversity, and nutrient dynamics in eutrophic lakes.

Dr. Cao has published extensively on freshwater fish communities, benthic macroinvertebrates, and mussel ecology. His work emphasizes disentangling natural and anthropogenic influences on aquatic systems, with a focus on developing effective conservation strategies.

He is affiliated with the Illinois Natural History Survey and collaborates globally on projects addressing aquatic ecosystem degradation and restoration. His expertise spans ecological modeling, biotic index development, and large-scale environmental monitoring.