Todd Sandell (MS, PhD) works part time as a fisheries ecology consultant. He previously led the WDFW’s Pacific herring stock assessment efforts in the Southern Salish Sea, as well as coordinating scientific studies focused on the biology and ecology of other forage fish species. He was a field biologist for 23+ years for ODFW, NOAA/NMFS, The Wild Fish Conservancy, and the WDFW.
Previous work focused on studying juvenile salmonid biology and fish communities in the upper and lower Columbia River, the San Juan Islands, Grays Harbor Estuary, the lower Chehalis River and throughout Puget Sound. Prior to moving to Washington in 2010, Todd worked at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (Oregon State University) where he went to sea aboard subcontracted commercial fishing vessels for seven summers and participated in the Columbia River Plume study and GLOBEC (Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics), a study of the Northern California Current. His PhD studies focused on the ecology of juvenile salmonids in the nearshore Pacific Ocean and his MS work was on whirling disease in the trout of NE Oregon.
Todd resides part time in Milo and Ashland. He enjoys fly fishing, mycology, cooking, river rafting, razor clamming and working in river restoration.
Professional Affiliations and Scientific Service
Member of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, the American Fisheries Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association of Parasitologists, and the Cascade Mycological Society.
Co-Led the Forage Fish Work Group, Puget Sound Estuarine and Marine Partnership (2018-2022)
Volunteer for Sea Grant’s national Ocean Sciences Bowl in both Oregon and Washington (Orca Bowl).
Consultant for the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership (WA coast).
Member of the American Fisheries Society Resource Policy Committee (term: 2014-2020).
Manuscript reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Journal of Fish Biology, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, Estuaries and Coasts, Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, and Marine Ecology Progress Series, among others.
Selected Publications
Petrou, E. et al., 2021. “Functional genetic diversity in an exploited marine species and its relevance to management.” Proceedings of the Royal Academy of Sciences B, 288: 20202398.
Andrew M. Claiborne, Lance Campbell, Bethany Stevick, Todd Sandell, James Losee, Marisa Litz, and Joseph Anderson, 2020. “Correspondence between scale growth, feeding conditions, and survival of adult Chinook salmon returning to Puget Sound: implications for forecasting.” Progress in Oceanography, special issue on climate, zooplankton and salmon.
Hershberger, P.K., A.H. MacKenzie, J.L. Gregg, A. Lindquist, T. Sandell, M.L. Groner, D. Lowry. 2019. A Geographic Hot Spot of Ichthyophonus infection in the Southern Salish Sea, USA. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
Duguid, William, Jennifer L. Boldt, Lia Chalifour, Correigh M. Greene, Moira Galbraith, Doug Hay, Dayv Lowry, Skip McKinnell, Chrys M. Neville, Jessica Qualley, Todd Sandell, Matthew Thompson, Marc Trudel, Kelly Young, Francis Juanes. 2019. “Historical Fluctuations and Recent Observations of Northern Anchovy Engraulis Mordax in the Salish Sea.” Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography.
Sandell, T.A., David Teel, Joe Fisher, Brian Beckman and Kym C. Jacobson. 2015. “Renibacterium salmoninarum and trematode infections are associated with reduced growth of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Northeast Pacific.” Journal of Fish Diseases, Volume 38, Issue 4, 365–378.
Sandell, T. and K. Jacobson. 2011. “Comparison and evaluation of Renibacterium salmoninarum quantitative PCR diagnostic assays using field samples of Chinook and coho salmon.” Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, Volume 93, 129-139.
Todd A. Sandell, Harriet Lorz, Sarah A. Sollid and Jerri Bartholomew, 2002. “Effects of Myxobolus cerebralis infection on juvenile spring Chinook Salmon in the Lostine River, Oregon.” In Whirling Disease: Reviews and Current Topics, AFS Publication 29, Bethesda, MD, pages 135-141.
Todd A. Sandell, Harriet V. Lorz, Donald G. Stevens, and Jerri Bartholomew, 2001. “Dynamics of Myxobolus cerebralis in the Lostine River, Oregon: Implications for resident and anadromous salmonids.” Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, Volume 13, 142-150.