Prior to attending Cal Poly Humboldt (Humboldt) as a graduate student in Watershed Management, I worked for five years the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) as a research assistant. My work at NOAA Fisheries and UCSC was primarily focused on Chinook salmon life history and production source identification using otoliths (fish ears). While working for NOAA Fisheries I began volunteering for the Coastal Watershed Council, monitoring water quality in local streams. While there, I began to recognize the vital role terrestrial habitat play in salmonid survival, a role that is often forgotten as land use, water and riparian resources are prioritized for anthropogenic needs.

My passion for understanding the intersection between salmonid habitat utilization and water quality continued at Humboldt through my graduate research project. At Humboldt, I was fortunate to be part of a multi-year project in the Klamath Basin. Through the Klamath Watershed Institute (KWI), an affiliate of the University, water quality monitoring organizations participated in an effort to establish a basin-wide monitoring organization and draft a monitoring plan. The KWI played a central role in facilitating this interagency effort. As part of my thesis work, I worked with stakeholders to draft a water quality monitoring plan for the Klamath Basin. I served as the geographic information systems (GIS) analyst, mapping, documenting and archiving monitoring locations and water quality data. The Klamath Basin Monitoring Program (KBMP) was born out of this effort.

In addition to my Masters degree from Humboldt, I also earned a certificate in GIS from Humboldt. I am currently part of a local GIS start-up, Humboldt Cartography. Humboldt Cartography was established in 2011 by four Humboldt GIS certificate students. Humboldt Cartography specializes in geographic information systems and cartographic solutions.

Chantell Krider (nee Royer) graduated in 2011 and is currently the Recovery Plan Coordinator for the Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Board.