Big congratulations to Amanda Wik, awarded a California Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship as part of CASG’s latest round of coastal research funding — $2.45 million across 17 projects statewide.

Amanda’s project asks a simple question with enormous stakes: now that four hydroelectric dams have come off the Klamath, what’s on the menu for salmon? The 2024 removals, led by Indigenous Tribes, reopened more than 600 kilometers of habitat, and Chinook were spawning in the new reaches within months. Amanda will track the availability and nutritional quality of aquatic and terrestrial insects across the mainstem and tributaries, asking where and when young salmon have the best opportunities to grow.

The work is a partnership with Toz Soto and the Karuk Tribe. We couldn’t be prouder, and we’re very excited to watch the Klamath’s recovery unfold one mayfly at a time!