Thomas Quinn
- Professor, SAFS
Research areas
My research has addressed a wide variety of topics related to the behavior, ecology, evolution, and conservation of Pacific salmon, trout, and char, and their ecosystems. Some of my long-standing interests are the patterns of migration and homing by salmon, and the mechanisms that underlie these behavior patterns, and also the evolutionary aspects of homing – the formation of locally adapted populations, and gene flow arising from straying. This work has involved natural populations, populations transplanted to other locations, and the recolonization of habitat after dam removal or modification. I also have a long-standing interest in predator-prey interactions and especially the ecological and evolutionary aspects of predation by bears on salmon, as well as the ecological and evolutionary effects of human activities on salmon and trout, such as selective fishing and artificial propagation in hatcheries.
I am not accepting new graduate students.
Courses
Areas of Expertise
- Ecology, behavior, evolution and conservation of salmon and trout
- Migration and homing
- Predator-prey interactions
- Reproduction
- Selective effects of fisheries and artificial propagation
- Climate change
Community Engagement and Awards
Awards
- 1991 University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award
- 1998 College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences Distinguished Research Award
- 2000 Fulbright Fellowship to study in Ireland
- 2008 Marsha Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award, University of Washington
- 2010 Excellence in Fisheries Education Award, American Fisheries Society
- 2010 Elected member, Washington State Academy of Sciences
- Mason Keeler Endowed Professor in Recreational Fisheries Management
- Richard C. and Lois M. Worthington Endowed Professorship in Fisheries Management
Selected publications
Austin, C. S., T. E. Essington, and T. P. Quinn. 2021. In a warming river, wild Chinook salmon spawn later but hatchery-origin conspecifics do not. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 78: 68-77.
Tillotson, M. D., H. K. Barnett, M. Bhuthimethee, M. E. Koehler, and T. P. Quinn. 2019. Artificial selection on reproductive timing in hatchery salmon drives a phenological shift and potential maladaptation to climate change. Evolutionary Applications 12: 1344-1359.
Lincoln, A. E., and T. P. Quinn. 2019. Optimal foraging or surplus killing: selective consumption and discarding of Pacific salmon by brown bears. Behavioral Ecology 30: 202-212.
Tillotson, M. and T. P. Quinn. 2018. Selection on the timing of migration and breeding: A neglected aspect of fishing-induced evolution and trait change. Fish and Fisheries 19: 170-181.
Quinn, T. P. 2018. The Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Trout. University of Washington Press, Seattle. Second edition, 547 pp.
Quinn, T. P., C. J. Cunningham, and A. J. Wirsing. 2017. Diverse foraging opportunities drive the functional response of local and landscape-scale bear predation on Pacific salmon. Oecologia 183: 415-429.
Quinn, T. P., P. McGinnity, and T. E. Reed. 2016. The paradox of ‘premature migration’ by adult anadromous salmonid fishes: Patterns and hypotheses. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 73: 1015-1030.
Austin, C. S., T. E. Essington, and T. P. Quinn. 2021. In a warming river, wild Chinook salmon spawn later but hatchery-origin conspecifics do not. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 78: 68-77.
Tillotson, M. D., H. K. Barnett, M. Bhuthimethee, M. E. Koehler, and T. P. Quinn. 2019. Artificial selection on reproductive timing in hatchery salmon drives a phenological shift and potential maladaptation to climate change. Evolutionary Applications 12: 1344-1359.
Lincoln, A. E., and T. P. Quinn. 2019. Optimal foraging or surplus killing: selective consumption and discarding of Pacific salmon by brown bears. Behavioral Ecology 30: 202-212.
Tillotson, M. and T. P. Quinn. 2018. Selection on the timing of migration and breeding: A neglected aspect of fishing-induced evolution and trait change. Fish and Fisheries 19: 170-181.
Quinn, T. P. 2018. The Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Trout. University of Washington Press, Seattle. Second edition, 547 pp.
Quinn, T. P., C. J. Cunningham, and A. J. Wirsing. 2017. Diverse foraging opportunities drive the functional response of local and landscape-scale bear predation on Pacific salmon. Oecologia 183: 415-429.
Quinn, T. P., P. McGinnity, and T. E. Reed. 2016. The paradox of ‘premature migration’ by adult anadromous salmonid fishes: Patterns and hypotheses. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 73: 1015-1030.