Jason
Leppi, Ph.D.

Lead Fisheries Biologist
Alaska headquarters

705 Christensen Drive
Anchorage, AK 99501
 

Jason Leppi's headshot

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Areas of expertise: fish biology, conservation, freshwater habitat modeling, fish movement, biogeochemistry, otolith microchemistry, and watershed ecology.

Overview of research

His research is focused on understanding the ecology of freshwater fish. His work seeks to integrate empirical data and models to understand habitat use and movement patterns of freshwater fish to inform conservation and management. 

Professional Accomplishments

Education

Ph.D. Fisheries; College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences; University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 2021; Emphasis in fisheries and freshwater ecology in the Arctic.

M.S. Resource Conservation; University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 2010 Emphasis in hydrology, aquatic ecology, and climate change.

B.S. Land Resource Environmental Science; Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 2005; Emphasis in Land Resource Analysis and Management of Ecosystems and soil science.

Current research

His current research is mostly focused on studying the foraging ecology, habitat use, and movement patterns of Broad Whitefish (an important subsistence fish species) in the Colville River watershed, Alaska. 

Publications

Leppi, J.C., Rinella, D.J., Wipfli, M.S.,Whitman, M.S. Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) isotopic niches: stable isotopes reveal diverse foraging strategies and habitat use in Arctic Alaska. PLOS ONE, 17(7): e0270474. Available here

Leppi, J.C., Rinella, D.J., Wipfli, M.S., Brown, R.J., Spaleta, K.J., Whitman, M.S. (2022). Strontium isotopes reveal diverse life history variations, migration patterns, and habitat use for Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) in Arctic, Alaska. PLOS ONE, 17(5): e0259921. Available here

Leppi, J.C., Falke, J.A., Rinella, D.J., Wipfli, M.S., Seitz, A.C., Whitman, M.S. Landscape Geomorphology and Local-Riverine Features Influence Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) Spawning Habitat Suitability in Arctic Alaska. Available here

Leppi J.C., M. Lunde, M.S. Wipfli, D.J. Rinella. 2017. In Search of Arctic Bonefish. Fisheries. Available here

Sformo T.L., Adams B., Seigle, J.C., Ferguson, J.A., Purcell, M.K., Raphaela, S., Welch, J.H., Ellis, L.E., Leppi, J.C., George, J.C. Observations and first reports of saprolegniosis in Aanaakłiq, broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus), from the Colville River near Nuiqsut, Alaska. Polar Science. Available here

Belote R.T., Dietz M.S., McKinley P.S., Carlson A.A., Carroll C., Jenkins C.N., Urban D.L., Fullman T.J., Leppi J.C, Aplet G.H. 2017. Mapping conservation strategies under a changing climate. BioScience. Available here

Belote R.T., M.S. Dietz, C. Jenkins, P.S. McKinley, G.H. Irwin, T.J. Fullman, J.C Leppi, G.H. Aplet. 2017. Wild, connected and diverse: building a more resilient system of protected areas. Ecological Applications.  Available here

Mauger S., R. Shaftel, J.C. Leppi, D.J. Rinella. 2016. Summer temperature regimes in southcentral Alaska streams: watershed drivers of variation and potential implications for Pacific salmon. CJFAS Available here

Leppi J.C, C.D. Arp, M.S. Whitman. 2015. Predicting late winter dissolved oxygen levels in Arctic lakes using morphology and landscape metrics. Environmental Management Available here

Leppi J.C, D.J. Rinella, R.R. Wilson, W.M. Loya. 2014. Linking climate change projections for an Alaskan watershed to future coho salmon production.Global Change Biology. 20:1808-1820. Available here

Leppi J.C, T.H. DeLuca, S.W. Harrar, S.W. Running. 2011. Impacts of climate change on August stream discharge in the Central-Rocky Mountains. Climatic Change.  Available here

Jason’s personal webpages:

Webpage

Google Scholar

ResearchGate