Eric Palkovacs

Eric Palkovacs is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz. He is Director of the Fisheries Collaborative Program, which involves collaborative projects between UC Santa Cruz and the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center. His research interests include freshwater ecology, eco-evolutionary dynamics, fish ecology, fisheries management, and conservation. He is particularly interested in how human activity is impacting freshwater biodiversity and fisheries, and how we can manage for more climate resilient freshwater ecosystems for nature and people. He is actively engaged in policy and management of anadromous fishes such as salmon on the US Pacific Coast and river herring on the US Atlantic Coast.

Dr. Palkovacs received his BS from the University of Michigan and his PhD from Yale University. He completed a postdoc at the University of Maine and was McCurdy Scholar and Visiting Assistant Professor at Duke University before joining the faculty of UC Santa Cruz in 2012. Dr. Palkovacs has active research collaborations in California, across the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Dr. Palkovacs teaches courses in Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries Ecology. He especially enjoys spending time with students in the field. As a Visiting Fellow, Dr. Palkovacs is working on a book about Water, Fish, and People.